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FROM THE FUND BEQUEATHED BYT 
ARCHIBALD GARY COOLIDGE \ 
AB 1887 PROFESSOR OF HISTORY 
1908-1928 DIRECTOR OF THE 
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 1910-1928 

1^ 




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THE JEW, 

r 



TRANSLATED FROM THE POLISH OF 
JOSEPH IGNATIUS KRASZEWSKI 



BY 

LINDA DA KOWALEWSKA 



NEW YORK 

EAD & COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 



r\ DODD, Ml 

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SG-ou^ 7/1 S, (o,9-l^ 



/r^htd. .'/ // {i-j\-,(< .1 



y 



Copyright, 1S90 
By DODD, mead & COMPANY. 



A// rights reserved 



PKzss or 



BOSTON 



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CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. — Sestri-Ponente I 

II. — Judaism and Poland 28 

III. — Education of Jacob 39 

IV. — Aqua Sola 61 

V. — A Simple History of Love ... 81 

VI. — From Genoa to Pisa 103 

VII. — Voyage on. Foot 119 

VIII. — The Sabbath . ♦ 157 

IX. — The Eve of an Insurrection, . .182 

X. — The Pursuit of a Husband . . . 207 

XI. — A Political Meeting 224 

XII. — A Siren 231 

XIII. — Akiba 252 

XIV. — Alea Jacta Est 268 

XV. — A Perilous Inierview 281 

XVI. — The Jews in Council 285 

XVII. — Reunion of the Nobles . . . .293 



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iv CONTENTS. 

CHAPTSR PAGE 

XVIII. — The Country Will^j^^ * 'l^i 3'^ 

XIX. — A Father's Grief ^H' 4 *'"> ^Ih 319 

XX. — Muse Cultivates the Russians. . 323 

XXL — LiA 338 

XXII. — The Old Mother 347 

XXIII. — Russian Politics 363 

XXIV. -^ The Seducer 376 

XXV. — Between Two Fires 382 

XXVI. — The Reconciliation 389 

XXVII. — Jacob in Flight . .' . . . . 394 

XXVIII. — Love of Country 413 

XXIX. — The Gordlvn Knot 431 

XXX. — The Insurgents 438 

Epilogue 454 



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THE JEW. 



CHAPTER I. 

SESTRI— PONENTE. 

On a warm afternoon in the autumn of 1 860 the best, 
or rather the only, inn of Sestri-Ponente was full of peo- 
ple. Firpo, the host of the Albergo e Trattoria della 
Grotta, was little accustomed to such a crowd, except 
on Sundays and fete-days. As this was only a simple 
Thursday, his sunburnt cheeks reflected a smile of 
satisfaction. 

Sestri-Ponente is situated an hour's distance from 
Genoa, on the sea-shore " in vincinanza del mare " 
and on the grand route from Savona to Nice. Sestri, 
beside dock-yards for the construction of small mer- 
chant-vessels, which is its chief source of wealth, pos- 
sesses also a fine beach where it is possible to bathe 
in safety. It has this one superiority over Genoa " la 
superba,^^ which lacks sea-bathing. Genoa has all 
else; even her trees seem dwarfed near her stately 
edifices ; she has a magnificent harbour, and if one is 
determined to bathe in the sea he can hire a boat to 
take him some distance from the quay, where the 
water is not full of all sorts of debris. Once in clear 



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2 THE JEW, 

water a rope is tied around his waist, and he can seat 
himself on the steps fixed to the back of the boat. If 
he slip, the honest boatman draws him out of the sea, 
by the rope, at the end of which he looks like a new 
species of fish suspended on a hook. Those who dis- 
like this method are at liberty to bathe in the salt- 
water of the port or in the marble bath-houses of the 
Piazza Sarzana ; but to bathe where the beach is more 
or less rocky one must abandon Genoa for the fash- 
ionable Livoume, the charming Spezia, or the modest 
Sestri. The wealthier classes congregate at the former 
resorts. Sestri is patronized more by quiet people 
who wish to economize, who prefer a peaceful life to 
the distractions of the gay world, and the fresh sea- 
breeze to the feverish gayety and gossip of a crowded 
watering-place. The scenery is somewhat sombre, but 
not altogether deprived of the picturesque ; in grave 
and classic lines, like that of Poussin, are delineated 
vineyards, groves, gardens, and luxurious villas, to-day 
used chiefly as country-seats for the Italians. Here 
and there the spires of little churches and of convents 
rise to heaven and complete the panorama. The steep 
banks extend on one side as far as Genoa, on the 
other to Savona, and are then lost in the immensity of 
the sea, a mighty space of blue and green. 

From a distance the Albergo della Grotta makes a 
good appearance. This pretty little palace was for- 
merly the villa of a rich noble, and was never intended 
to be an inn. Its approaches are lined with laurels, 
pomegranates, and orange-trees, and it is reached by 



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SESTRI-PONES^TE. ^ 

a Steep path with steps cut in the solid rock. Every- 
where traces appear of the fastidious taste of some 
former owner, and in the midst of all this beauty, with- 
out regard for the neighbouring nobility, is a prosaic 
inn. This shows that the conditions oflife are changing 
everywhere. It is not only in Italy that one meets 
edifices which do not respond to the exactions and 
the needs of actual society. How many palaces are 
changed into breweries, how many villas transformed 
into inns, how many beautiful private gardens have be- 
come plantations ! The opulent parvenus^ only, have 
preserved some remains of the noble dwellings of the 
extinct or ruined nobility. The great lords have built 
for the bankers. The shell still remains, but the mol- 
lusk has departed. 

The principal ornament of our villa was that which 
its name indicates, a grotto constnicted with great 
skill, recalling the time when the Roman Caesars es- 
tablished oyster-parks on their roofs and forced nature 
into every extravagance. This grotto formed a vast 
salon occupying an entire wing of the house, and, 
thanks to the bizarre ornamentation of stalactites, had 
every appearance of a natural cavern. The walls 
were of gypsum of all colours. A labyrinth lighted 
from above led to a fish-pond and a fountain, from 
which the water flowed slowly, its musical plashing 
being a genuine refreshment on a hot summer's day. 

On entering this subterranean place for the first 
time one experienced a sense of melancholy, but 
gradually the eye became accustomed to the twilight 



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4 THE JEW, 

and the illusion disappeared, and was followed by a 
delicious feeling of refreshment and enthusiasm. 

To-day this grotto serves for the dining-room of the 
inn. Tables are set in the middle and in the dark 
comers, and on the rocks surrounding the fish-pond 
is placed a table where at times the workmen em- 
ployed in the neighbouring forges eat, drink, and sleep. 
When they cede this place, it is only to tourists or to 
English families. 

Here all classes fraternize over their wine and 
macaroni. The host serves with the same zeal the 
lords or the drivers. Who knows that he does not 
prefer the latter, for the lords seldom return, while 
the post-drivers, like an intermittent fever, come back 
every other day. The cuisine of this inn was no 
better nor worse than any other Italian cookery The 
wine was agreeable enough to a palate that was not 
too blascy and a grateful freshness made the grotto 
a delightful retreat during the day, for no brawling 
crowd or discordant music ever disturbed the place. 
Over the skylight the pomegranate and orange trees 
intermingle their branches, and when all was still 
could be heard the murmuring of the sea, a fine view 
of which might be had from the flat roof of the grotto. 

Sestri is a village which is animated only at times 
by travellers, and to which the railway gives but a 
fugitive vitality. Few people stop here, for before 
them near at hand appears the vision of Genoa, and 
each one hastens to reach " la Superba." Only the 
visitors of the Villa Palaviccini, which is near, meet at 



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SESTRI-PONENTE, 5 

Sestri with the occasional tourists who do not dislike 
the brodi of Signor Firpo. 

The inn, as we have said, was, for a sultry afternoon, 
unusually full of people. Two diligences painted blue, 
as well as other vehicles, had arrived from Genoa and 
Nice. The host naturally conducted his guests to the 
grotto, which he loved to show off as a wonder. The 
tables were soon taken by the travellers, who, once 
comfortably seated, began to examine each other with 
a certain distrust. 

Near one of the tables was seated a young man of 
medium size. At the first glance one would judge 
from his expressive face and regular features that he 
was an Italian ; but examining him more closely cer- 
tain characteristics of the Oriental type would be dis- 
covered. Sorrow or labour had prematurely furrowed 
his high forehead, and the energy of his glance de- 
noted a strong character. He appeared like one who 
had conquered himself after long internal combats. 

His was a sympathetic face and drew men to him. 
His costum^J4iot extremely elegant, yet comfortable 
and in good -liiste, attested, if not a great fortune, at 
least a fair competency. Before him were spread the 
remains of a frugal repast of fruit, wine, and cheese. 

A short distance from him was a group of three 
persons, one of whom was a woman. She was a clear 
brunette with red lips, and had passed her first youth, 
but was still very attractive, almost beautiful, and the 
natural gayety of her manner was augmented by a 
charming air of good-will toward all. She appeared 



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6 THE JEW, 

to be the idol of the two men seated near her. One of 
fine physique, dark complexion, and quiet manners 
was evidently her husband, or else a very intimate 
friend. The other cavalier was blonde, slender, and 
timid as a young girl, pushing on every occasion. 
The trio ate slowly, and seemed to try to shake off 
the melancholy impression produced by the singular 
dining-room. 

On the other side a man sat smoking, with a bottle 
of wine before him. Under his long black disordered 
hair he knitted his brows. Although still young he 
bore the traces of a dissipated life. His bronzed 
complexion, his thick lips, his low, square forehead 
which made him resemble the sphinx, indicated that 
he was the descendant of a non- European race. He 
looked like a carving in basalt, but in basalt worn by 
the storms of passion, to-day extinct but formerly 
tumultuous. One was reminded on regarding him of 
those lakes which, agitated in the morning, are calm 
under the soft breeze of evening. 

Farther off lounged two Italians, eatrily jecognized 
by the carelessness of their attitude in spite of the 
presence of a lady. Their nationality was furthermore 
betrayed by their olive complexions and long black 
hair falling over their shoulders. The younger wore a 
mustache i la Victor Emmanuel^ which gave him a 
military air. The second and stouter man was an 
artist. They both had that air of content worn by 
men who are at home and breathe their native air. 

Separated from them by an empty table a pale. 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. tj 

blonde young man seemed to seek solitude. This 
was a son of Germany. Despite his phlegmatic 
manner and apparent indifference one could divine 
nevertheless that he had experienced some misfortune. 

Clad poorly and with a certain negligence, forgetting 
his bread and cheese he looked dreamily at the grotto 
and his neighbours, absorbed entirely in awaiting the 
morrow, yet as though he dreaded it. 

All the company was silent and a little sleepy. 
From time to time could be heard voices at the table 
where the only woman of the party was seated ; at 
times the clinking of glasses and of bottles ; then the 
silence became more profound. 

Suddenly a stranger entered by a little back-door. 
All eyes were turned toward him. There was some- 
thing in the sudden appearance of this man that was 
startling. He was very pale and thin. His garments, 
gray with dust, proved that he had travelled long on 
foot. Fatigue had marked his visage, and imprinted 
on his features that melancholy beauty which interests 
at first sight all men truly worthy of that name. His 
eyes were sunken, but their expression was soft as the 
glance of a woman, and attested almost superhuman 
sufferings. His haversack, his staff, and his miserable 
appearance showed that he travelled on foot rather 
from necessity than from preference. 

He sought timidly with his eyes an obscure comer ; 
then, seeing that almost all the tables were occupied, he 
moved slowly to a seat near the German ; but scarcely 
had he taken off hi? straw hat ?md wiped the sweat 



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8 THE JEW, 

from his brow, than his figure contracted under fright- 
ful suffering. He seized the table convulsively to 
steady himself, but his strength gave way and he fell 
unconscious to the ground. In the fall he overturned 
his chair, and it was a miracle that he did not cut his 
head on the stalactites of the grotto. He remained 
stretched at full length, pale as a corpse, and retaining 
on his features that expression of calm which death 
gives. All the travellers, led by the lady, — we must do 
them that justice, — rushed to his assistance. It was 
the lady who showed most presence of mind, and she 
proved a veritable sister of charity. In every woman 
there is a mother and a sister. She seized a carafe, 
and wetting a napkin applied it to the temples of the 
unknown, who sighing deeply opened his eyes, and 
soon came to himself. At first he seemed ashamed of 
his accident. He leaned on his elbow, his eyes tim- 
idly lowered, and stammered some unintelligible words 
of thanks. 

Short as was the time of this little scene the land- 
lord had already heard of it. He hastened, speech- 
less from fear of the formalities which would follow a 
sudden death in his inn, and he had already decided 
to beg the invalid to go and die elsewhere, when he 
was reassured by seeing the stranger again conscious. 

This first thought of Signor Firpo was characteristic 
of our age, which, in place of giving the hand to the 
unfortunate, repulses him, and does not recognize in 
the poor the right to be ill. The first sentiment ex- 
perienced to-day when men meet is that of suspicion 



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SESTRUPONENTE. 9 

or distrust. Indifference has replaced the ideal. So- 
ciety has turned its back on the unfortunate, and its 
motto is egotism. 

The innkeeper felt a little ashamed when he saw 
the solicitude of all his patrons for the unfortunate 
man. Nevertheless, he had no idea of harbouring dur- 
ing the night a traveller who fainted so easily and who 
had no baggage. Genoa is not far off. There are 
hospitals there, thought he. I must see that he leaves 
as soon as possible. 

What would have been the exasperation of the 
honest Firpo if he had known that hunger was the 
cause of the fainting? 

For the present he did not announce his charitable 
intention on account of his guests who gathered around 
the new-comer. A common feeling of compassion and 
charity drew these strangers to each other. They 
fraternized like old friends, conversing now in French, 
now in Italian, in order to understand each other. 

The woman sought with her deUcate hands the 
wound on the young man's head, whence flowed the 
blood which stained his temples. The men talked in 
low voices about the accident, and with a forced smile 
the stranger muttered feebly : — 

" It is nothing ! Pardon and thanks I But the 
heat — fatigue — " " Or rather hunger," added the 
spectators, looking at the poor fellow whose sunken 
cheeks showed that they were right. 

Gradually calm was again established. Some one 
advised the invalid to take a little wine, and the 



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lO THE JEW. 

woman brought him her own glass after having filled it. 
He raised it to his lips, thanking her timidly. 

"Will you come and sit with us, monsieur?" said 
she drawing near him ; " after a little rest this weak- 
ness will pass away." Then she added : — 

" These accidents are sometimes succeeded by 
another, and it will be prudent to be near us. We 
can watch over you. And if the question is not 
indiscreet, will you tell us whence you came and where 
you are going ? " 

" I go to Genoa, madame," replied the unknown. 

" And you come from a distance ? " 

" Quite a distance, from France. I have travelled 
on foot, and am very weary." 

There was a short silence. But the woman was 
curious and continued the r61e of interrogator. 

"Then you are not a Frenchman? " 

" No, madame." 

" I knew it by your accent." 

The other travellers approached the table where the 
stranger was seated, and the conversation became 
general. They talked of their travels, and during this 
time the invalid became stronger. His extreme pale- 
ness diminished as the blood circulated more rapidly 
in his veins. The woman fixed on him a maternal 
gaze. 

"You are truly unpardonable," continued she. 
" Being subject to fainting, you ought not to have 
undertaken such a long journey alone and in such 
beat. Although Italy is safe in the vicinitv of Naples, 



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SESTRI-'PONENTE, 1 1 

and has lost her legendary brigands, who no longer 
exist except in romances, you might have been assas- 
sinated or at least robbed in some lonely place on the 
route that you have taken." 

The young man smiled sadly, hung his head, and 
repUed in a low voice, " It would have been impos- 
sible, madame, to have followed your excellent advice. 
I had not the means to do so." 

" Poor boy," murmured his fair questioner, " this 
is frightful ! " 

" I am an exile," continued he raising his head. 
"I am a Pole. I left my country on account of 
some college pranks for which I would have been 
sent to Siberia, with my future ruined. I hoped to 
find a warm welcome from compassionate nations. 
I sought it in Germany, in England, and in France. 
Everywhere beautiful words concealed a cold indiffer- 
ence. At last I thought of Italy. It has a people 
whose destiny not long ago somewhat resembled ours. 
Outlaws, they also sought from the world a little aid 
and s)rmpathy. Alas ! " He interrupted this in- 
voluntary confession, which had produced different 
impressions on his hearers. 

He had at first somewhat chilled the company, 
who, however, soon submitted to a more generous 
sentiment, and felt themselves captivated by his frank- 
ness. 

" We are, then, in a measure compatriots," said in 
Polish the blonde young man seated near the beauti- 
ful lady. " I am a little Polish, but Galician." The 



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12 THE JEW. 

"but" sounded coldly on the ears of the outlaw, 
who nevertheless saluted him, and took in silence his 
outstretched hand. 

The dark man with majestic features arose in his 
turn. 

" I, also," declared he in a slightly ironical tone, 
" have the honour to present myself as in a measure 
your compatriot. I am Polish, but a Jew." 

The Galician turned quickly toward the last speaker, 
who was warmly shaking the hand of the exile. 

" In this general recognition," added the lady's 
second cavalier, "permit me also to consider myself 
as somewhat your countryman. We are brother 
Slavs, for I am a Russian, but outlawed. Give me, 
then, your hand." 

" Outlaw or vagabond, it is all the same," said the 
man with the bronzed skin. " Permit me, then, as a 
brother in exile and vagabondage, as a pariah, to 
fraternize with you. I am a Tsigane, but a rich 
Tsigane, and that is a rare thing. It is the only 
reason why I am not rubbing down horses, and why I 
do not rob hen-roosts. Yes, messieurs, I belong to 
that condemned race who in the Middle Ages were 
driven out at the bayonet's point, and who are to-day 
under the supervision of the police. The only ex- 
ception made is for our sisters under twenty years 
who have white teeth, a sweet voice, and la beauU du 
diable. To reassure you, I repeat, messieurs, that I 
am very rich ; that, surely, is a corrective for the worst 
reputation. I am not, however, a Tsigane king. I 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. 



13 



am only an idler by profession." He laughed sar- 
donically, watching the effect of his words, then con- 
tinued : " I bear on my face the indelible witness of 
my origin. No magic water can whiten my skin. 
No cosmetic can conceal my race." 

"Listen, messieurs," interposed the lady with 
vivacity, " if banishment and a nomadic life are the 
standard of your good-will, you can admit me to 
your society. My father was Italian, of that Italy 
which was not yet a country, but a ' simple geographi- 
cal expression,' to quote Mettemich. He emigrated 
voluntarily to England. My mother was of an old 
Irish family. My husband, Russian; and if that be 
not enough, my grandmother was Greek." 

A little man suddenly advanced from the midst of 
the circle brandishing an enormous parasol. He was 
dressed with great care, and wore a pair of spectacles, 
with shoulder-straps crossed on his breast from which 
hung on one side a lorgnette and on the other a game- 
bag. 

" Bravo ! bravissimo I " cried he, taking a part in 
the conversation. " Pardon me for interrupting you, 
madame, but I desire to participate in this general 
introduction, and I flatter myself that I have rights 
which give me the priority. I am a Dane by birth. 
My mother was Scotch or English, my grandmother 
an Italian. I have long lived in France, and I believe 
that I am even naturalized. I hope, then, to have the 
right to dine in a company from all the world. What 
think you, my friends ? " 



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14 THE JEW. 

There was a general laugh, and he was admitted 
with frank and joyous cordiality. 

" I solicit the same honour," said the German with 
a heavy air ; " I, also, am an exile." With these words 
he bowed and seated himself. 

"The question of country," said the Dane, " is to- 
day a simple question of money. With a full purse 
one is everywhere received, everywhere naturalized ; 
with gold one has everywhere the right of citizenship. 
No money ; no country 1 No money ; move on ! 
The only real outlaw, the true pariah, is he who has 
nothing. With money one can buy as many countries 
as he desires. That is why I do not feel the want 
of one." 

With these words he shrugged his shoulders and 
was silent, and one of the Italians arose. 

" My friend and I," said he, " do not wish to be ex- 
cluded from this charming circle, and we have both a 
title to be received among you. In the first place, we 
are artists, who are always nomads in body and spirit. 
And though we are Italians, one is a Roman, the other 
Venetian. And we can tender the hand to the Pole, 
for we are brothers in poverty." 

" No ! no ! " cried the Pole. " You are not like us, 
despoiled of all. You know whither to fly from per- 
secution. All Italy is open to you. You have a 
country, a king, and a government. We have only 
police, spies, executioners, and persecutors. We are 
always menaced with Siberia or death. Europe does 
not recognize even our right to exist." 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. 



15 



These words, vibrating with despair, threw into the 
conversation the dramatic note. All the men in this 
motley society — Italians, Poles, Jew, Dane, and 
Tsigane — gathered around the little tables, and even 
those who were least inclined to make new acquaint- 
ances could not resist the general impulse. The ice 
had been broken by the fainting and the confession of 
the Pole. 

We very often hesitate to make new acquaintances 
when travelling. The motive is usually a selfish one. 
Each encounter costs us some words of politeness, 
some courteous concessions, if our ideas are not in 
accord with those of our new friend. And all these 
concessions are a total loss, because before long we 
part at the next station. It is an expense that one 
can easily avoid. It is much pleasanter to be silent 
and to stretch one's legs without caring for a neigh- 
bour who will be gone in a few moments. 

For once the guests of Sestri-Ponente forgot all 
considerations of personal comfort. The woman had 
communicated to all the sentiment of charity which 
had seized her. 

Everjrthing is contagious in this world, even virtue. 
A half-century ago, when there was less travelling, men 
were much more accessible to each other. To-day 
there passes before our eyes such a procession of 
specimens of human kind, from the prince without a 
crown to the proUtaire without a shirt, that one re- 
flects that caution is necessary. 

Man has become cosmopolitan, and he avoids sym- 



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i6 THE JEW, 

pathetic persons for fear he may become attached to 
them. 

The landlord, concealed behind the door, felt re- 
assured on seeing him whom he thought dying, under 
the protection of the whole company. This protec- 
tion relieved him from obligations, the very thought 
of which was terrifying. 

As a good action reacts on those who are the cause 
of it, the lady was radiant. She chatted with the 
Venetian and the Roman, interrogated the Pole, 
argued with the Dane, said some words to the Tsigane, 
even smiled at the phlegmatic German, and so 
charmed the whole company that each one com- 
menced to dread the hour of departure. The con- 
versation continued gayly as it had begun. 

" I am not altogether a cosmopoUte," said the lady; 
" man needs a country, and he who has none has one 
joy the less in his heart, one love the less in his life, 
and in his thoughts a hope and a consolation the less. 
Rather than want a country one ought to choose and 
create one to love, for it is necessary for a young man 
to have an ideal love if he has not a real one. How- 
ever, love of one's country does not imply hatred of 
others. It is a beautiful thing this human brother- 
hood." 

" Very well said," agreed the Dane, who, in order 
to put in his word, had left his macaroni. " But unfortu- 
nately, madame, this fraternity belongs only to fabu- 
lous and Utopian days, like the English republics and 
the patriarchal monarchies. It is a dream, like the 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. 



17 



imaginary cottages of lovers with idyllic roots and 
herbs for food, and the clear water of the rushmg 
brook for drink ; it is an idle dream, like any other 
nonsense that men have invented in this age of beef- 
steaks, of business, of bank-notes, and comfort. It is 
thousands of years since men coined the word ' frater- 
nity.' Eh ! madame, ask the Muscovite to love the 
Pole, and the English to love the French ; demand, 
then, of the German to renounce his disposition to 
assimilate all the neighbouring provinces and to de- 
mand their ground for the cultivation of his potatoes ; 
ask him then to cease singing the praises of his 
mother- country wherever he may be.*' 

" Oh I oh I " said the peaceable German shaking 
his head. "Behold already a satire on the most 
inoffensive of men." Then he resumed between his 
teeth, " Oh ! Schiller ! " 

" I have had the pleasure of reading all his works," 
replied the Dane, returning to his macaroni, "in a 
translation. He has written many beautiful things. 
But beautiful verses do not characterize a people, my 
dear German. I call you very dear, because I love 
exceedingly men in general, although I hate a few in 
particular. Well, very dear son of blonde Germany, 
I tell you, without remembrance of your monopoly of 
Schleswig and of Holstein, two principalities to which 
I do not belong, — I tell you frankly, Schiller, Goethe, 
Kant, Herder, and Lessing are not Germans." 

"How is that?" 

"Listen, peaceable son of industrious Germany; 



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i8 THE JEW. 

do not fly in a passion. I know you, that is why I 
maintain that neither Schiller nor the others belong 
to you." 

"To whom do they belong, then?" demanded the 
German, striking his knife on the table. 

"They are geniuses like Shakespeare. They be- 
long to the whole world, and not to His Majesty the 
King of Prussia. They are not as well known in the 
country that has produced them as in other lands." 

"That is perfectly true," added the young Pole. 
"I feel that I understand Schiller better than most 
Germans, who go into ecstasies over his genius, and 
raise statues on all the street comers, and throw a flat 
contradiction over the poet's ideal by shutting them- 
selves up in a narrow and egotistical nationality." 

" Enough, young enthusiast !" interrupted the Dane. 
" You are twenty-one or " — 

" Twenty-two," said the Pole. 

"I will not permit you to discuss the subject of 
egotism yet. Wait a few years, until you become an 
egotist yourself. * Nemo sapiens nisi patiens^ I ad- 
mit, however, that you have comprehended my mean- 
ing very well, and that you have argued fairly." 

A general laugh seized the whole company. 

" With your permission," added the Dane, taking 
up his lorgnette, which he had placed on the table, 
" this threatens to become a rather long international 
conference. It is necessary that I should reinforce 
the inner man to sustain the discussion. Macaroni is 
very * filling,* but does not nourish overmuch. I shall 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. 



19 



send for something more substantial. Decidedly, 
these Italians for many generations of stomachs have 
cultivated an exaggerated taste for macaroni." 

" Do not trouble yourself about us ! " replied the 
lady smiling. 

" Monsieur Pole," continued the loquacious Dane, 
"do not be offended if I invite you brusquely to 
dine with me. It is simple egotism. When I eat 
alone I am not hungry. To see any one eat gives me 
an appetite, and I divine in you a Polish stomach." 

The young man blushed deeply and murmured, 
"But — but** — 

" No buts. It is a service which you can render 
me. Eat like a wolf; I will enjoy looking at you in 
coveting your appetite.** 

With these words he sighed with regret and knocked 
on the table. A waiter in his shirt-sleeves came run- 
ning in. Each one ordered his dinner. The conver- 
sation flagged, and the German, gloomy and indignant, 
went and seated himself in a comer. 

"Monsieur is provoked," said the Dane to him; 
" but monsieur is wrong. I esteem your nation very 
highly, and I render justice to all its general qualities. 
The Germans abound everywhere, like the trichina ; 
and like it, the hardier they are the more surely they 
provoke the death of those who have received them. 
It is a credit to the people, though it be an offence in 
the trichina. If you dislike my opinion read Heine, 
who justifies me in all points." 

The German made a gesture of contempt. 



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20 THE JEW. 

" Heine, a Jew ! " said he in a low voice. 

The Dane alone heard him, and leaning towards his 
companion added, in an undertone, " I fear you will 
soon be obliged to seek your future where Heine saw 
it." Then lower still he pronounced this word, a title 
in one of Heine's works, — " Hammonia ! " 

After a short colloquy the two men evidently came 
to an amicable understanding, for they shook hands. 

The menu for the principal meal at the Albergo 
della Grotto was as follows ; First a thick brodo, a 
soup that alone with Italians supersedes their beloved 
macaroni. Then a dish of fried fish and one of stewed 
meat ; that, to say the least, was a little suspicious, for 
it had come from Genoa in the heat of the day, and 
was certainly somewhat fatig[ued by the journey. After- 
ward a roast, then cheese and fruit. 

The Dane grumbled, and said that the cooking was 
unworthy of the least of scullions ; but the travellers 
were hungry, and they excused many shortcomings. 

The Pole had overcome his embarrassment and ate 
with evident enjoyment, although he feared that his 
new friends would divine his long fast. His companion 
was not hungry, for he had eaten at Cogoletto. The 
unfortunate young man considered this meal a God- 
send, for he was saving his last sou to return home. 
Having lost confidence in "human fraternity," he 
relied only on his own strength and economy. 

" Am I permitted to ask where you are going ? *» 
said the lady, looking around the tables. 

" As for me," said the one whom she had succoured. 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. 21 

" I go, or rather return, to Poland. It is two years 
since I left it, and I return impelled by suffering and 
hope. Aged by my trials, I have leil on the way all 
my illusions." 

"I also return to Poland," added the Jew. "I 
consider it my country. Permit me to call it thus, for 
I love it, and that gives me the right." 

The two men pressed each other's hands like broth- 
ers, whilst the Galician seemed to be looking for , 
something under the table, and feigned not to hear 
them. 

" I," said the Tsigane, " believe that I will go to 
Hungary. I say believe ^ for it is not yet decided ; it 
is only probable. I have relations established there. 
They have left the tents of their tribe for more sub- 
stantial dwellings. I wish to see them once more 
and to salute them in our ancient language. But for 
me every place is the same. I am never in haste ; I 
have money, and wander where I will. My country is 
any spot that suits me, for there does not exist for us 
a country in the sense in which you use it. We have 
forgotten our land since we left it, and if we should 
return, she would not recognize her children. We 
should be like Epimenides when he returned and 
found that no one knew him." 

"Well," said the Dane to the Pole brusquely, 
"you have made a wonderful journey, and in the 
most agreeable way. Necessity is often a blessing in 
disguise. How often have I wished to be obliged to 
go on foot, but, unfortunately, there has never been 



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22 THE JEW. 

any urgent reason for doing so, and I have always lis- 
tened to the voice of sloth." 

" You wish for everything," said the Jew ; " but at 
the same time you lack the will to obtain the object 
of your desires." 

" That is true. But that which I long for most is 
youth ! " replied the Dane. 

" The route is truly charming enough to make one 
forget hunger and heat," said the Pole. "Walking 
along the shores of the blue sea, it seemed to me 
that the world was ffnished in emeralds and opals 
and sapphires. It was like Paradise, — an ideal land. 
What a poem is the ocean ! " 

"The ocean is not at all poetical," said the Dane ; 
" it only seems so in your youthful enthusiasm. To 
me the sea speaks only of oysters and fish." 

The lady smiled at this prosaic remark, and softly 
quoted, — 

" O pritnavera / gioventu de Panno / 
O gioventu / primavera della vita / " 

" I intend to visit Italy, and I am going to Genoa," 
remarked the German laconically. 

" I, also," added the Dane. 

"We go anywhere," replied the Roman and the 
Venetian. 

"As for me," declared the Muscovite, "I am 
obliged to wander, because I cannot return to * ia 
sdinte Russie^ until" — 



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SESTKI^PONENTE, 



23 



"Until the tempest explodes there/* finished the 
Dane. "Was not that what you intended to say?" 
added he. 

The Moscovite made an affirmative gesture. 

"As for me, I shall prolong my voyage," mur- 
mured the Galician. " I wish to see Italy thor- 
oughly." 

" Then we are all bound for Genoa," resumed the 
lady ; " this Genoa ' la superbay that we can already 
catch a glimpse of here, and which I am anxious to 
reach." 

" Madame, do not complain of the length of the 
route," observed the Jew. " The true happiness of 
life is in knowing where one aims to be, and then 
going slowly toward it. Genoa the beautiful is more 
beautiful at a distance than when near. The journey 
from here is ravishing." 

" I know something of it, for I have come on foot 
from Marseilles," said the Pole. 

One of the Italians launched out into enthusiastic 
praise of Italy "/a bella'' 

" I am not surprised to find love of country even 
among the Esquimaux, but I cannot comprehend an 
Italian that does not love Italy. Where else can be 
found so beautiful a country ? At your feet eloquent 
ruins of past ages, overhead a sky of unequalled 
beauty, and everywhere wonders, with a climate which 
restores life to the dying. Italy reigns queen of the 
world ; they have plucked the diadem from her 
brow, but she still continues calm and majestic. Bar- 



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24 THE JEW. 

barians have chained her beautiful hands, but she will 
soon rise again and shake off her fetters. Tell me, 
do you know a more beautiful land ? " 

" I know one," replied the Pole mournfully. " A 
gray sky envelops it; its soil is stained with blood. 
The cemeteries alone speak of the past, and through 
these burial-grounds pass often despairing groups of 
chained men. It has no sapphire sea, — nothing but 
the cold, icy wind. But it is the altar of innumerable 
sacrifices, — it is my country." 

The Itahans nodded their heads, and the Tsigane 
smiled ironically. 

"What matters it to a man," cried he, "whether he 
be here or there ! Life is short, and death will soon 
oblige him to return to the darkness whence he came. 
Let us not become attached to anything or anybody. 
It is not worth the trouble." 

" What an error ! " interrupted the lady ; " it is by 
the heart that one lives. All else is the bitter peel of 
the fruit." 

" In that case one must become accustomed to the 
peel," said the Tsigane shrugging his shoulders. 

A servant came to announce to the lady's cavaliers 
that their carriage was ready, and he believed it his 
duty to add that the diligence was also waiting at 
the door to take the other travellers to Genoa. This 
interruption had the effect of a cold douche on the 
company, and a cloud passed over their counte- 
nances. 

"Thus," said the lady sighing, "we must separate. 



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SESTKI-PONENTE. 



25 



Destiny pushes us on again like the galley slaves who 
wish to stop on the way, and are relentlessly forced 
onward by their keepers. God alone knows if we 
shall ever meet again ! " 

" No, we cannot tell," rejoined the Dane, adjusting 
his lorgnette ; " but we shall certainly meet again the 
t)rpes which we resemble. As for myself, I am con- 
vinced that I have seen you all already somewhere, 
and that I shall meet you again, but perhaps under a 
form less attractive." 

This odd idea did not please the lady, who was no 
doubt offended at the thought of being considered an 
ordinary woman. 

" As for me, monsieur," said she haughtily, " this is 
the first time in my life that ever I saw you, and I tell 
you that " — 

"That you do not desire to see me again?" 

"That is not exactly what I was going to say. How- 
ever, your belief in types and not in individuals shocks 
me, I acknowledge. For what man has then a per- 
fect ideal?" 

" Men are but men, be certain of that, madame. I 
affirm more : to believe in a variety of men is danger- 
ous ; there are only certain types many times repeated. 
We often think to find a new man, an unknown ; but 
we soon recognize an old acquaintance who, between 
you and me, does not amount to much," 

" In the abstract you are right, monsieur," said she, 
glancing at the Russian, who smiled, and at the Gali- 
cian, who appeared not to listen. " But," added she 



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26 THE JKW, 

quickly, '* we will not grieve about it. En route and 
Au revoir / " 

**Aurevoir/ but where?" 

" At Genoa." 

"At what place?" 

" At Aqua Sola," said one of the Italians ; " there 
is good music there, and there we may easily find each 
other." 

Every one arose and saluted the lady, who held out her 
hand to the young Pole and wished him better health. 

The rest of the company prepared to leave, wishing 
each other a pleasant journey. The Dane took the 
diligence and the Tsigane an omnibus. The Italians 
went on foot. The German found it economical to 
glide into the vehicle of the proprietaire, in the midst 
of tomatoes and fruits. 

" We will go together," said the Jew to the Pole. 
" I do not wish to part with you. I have a carriage, 
and if you will not come willingly I shall employ force." 

" But I have no right to trouble you." 

" On the contrary, you will do me a service. Soli- 
tude fatigues me, and your company will distract my 
thoughts. It is a genuine favour that you will grant 
me. Come, no more doubts. Give me your hand, 
brother, and think no more about it." 

From the threshold of the inn the landlord saw the 
departure of the invalid with great satisfaction. And 
his joy was augmented by the fact that all had paid 
well, and that his first care now was to prepare a sec- 
ond dinner. 



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SESTRI-PONENTE. 



27 



"What good luck," said he to himself, "that that 
young stranger should have fallen into the hands of 
those people. If it had not been so he might per- 
haps have committed suicide here, and I should 
have been obliged to bury him at my own expense, 
for he did not appear to have a heavy haversack, and 
I do not believe he had a sou. May God deliver me 
from any more such tourists ! Yes, I have had a 
lucky escape." 



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28 THE JEW. 



CHAPTER 11. 

JUDAISM AND POLAND. 

The two men traversed in almost uninterrupted 
silence the short distance which separated Sestri 
from Genoa. The route is simply a continuous line 
of straggling hamlets. On one mass of rock arose 
the ruins of an old tower ; above the door was the 
image of the Virgin, patroness of the city. The 
light-house appeared in the distance, then the harbour, 
like an amphitheatre around which Genoa la Superba 
is built. This beautiful city is seen to best advan- 
tage from the sea. It is a city of palaces, with its 
colonnades, its porticos and staircases, its streets 
climbing toward the sky or sinking in sudden preci- 
pices. It has been likened to an enormous shell 
thrown up by the waves of the sea. The marine 
monster who lived in this shell has been replaced by 
a miserable spider ; a life full of littleness has suc- 
ceeded the life of grandeur of past ages. 

In this marble city the inhabitants to-day are some- 
what embarrassed. The shell is too large for them, 
— this shell, in the bottom of which the turbulent 
Genoese Republic vied with Venice in its traffic and 
its aristocracy. New peoples are there, new ways. 
The Balbi and Palaviccini palaces now have the 



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■JUDAISM AND POLAND, 29 

appearance of tombs, while at the port the modem 
Italian struggles for precedence in a new form of 
existence, perhaps as full of pride as in the vanished 
past. 

The carriage rolled softly through the streets which 
led to the interior of the city. 

" Permit me to alight," said the young Pole 
suddenly. 

"Why?" 

" To go in search of lodgings." 

" I thought it was agreed that we travel together? " 

" Yes ; but I wish to live alone. I tell you frankly 
that I have scarcely enough to finish my journey. It 
is necessary for me to seek cheap lodgings." 

" Have you not accepted my fraternal offer to stay 
with me ? " 

" Yes, perhaps ; but poverty has its pride, as wealth 
sometimes has its humility. Do not be angry be- 
cause I wish to retain my independence. It is so 
good to be free, when liberty costs only a bad dinner 
and a wretched bed." 

"I understand your scruples," replied the Jew. 
" If they were of any value I would heed them. 
I do not dream of chaining you to myself. My offer 
amounts to little, but it is made with a good heart, and 
if you find life with me insupportable you can leave 
me. In asking you to share my lodgings, if only for 
a night, I do not make any sacrifice, and you owe me 
no gratitude. Do not refuse. I can share with you 
without inconvenience, and it is you who will do me 



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30 THE JEW. 

a favour. I am sad- hearted ; solitude oppresses me, 
I do not wish to be alone. Come with me to my 
hotel. I do not ask you to amuse me, but only to 
be near me. My heart longs to overflow into the 
heart of a fellow-man. If I weary you, you are at 
liberty to leave me to my sufferings." 

" It would be foolish for me," said the Pole, " to 
refuse such a courteous invitation. Pardon my too 
susceptible pride. It was owing to my poverty." 

'* I honour the sentiment," replied the Jew smil- 
ing. Then he cried to the driver, "To the Hotel 
F^der 1 " 

The Hotel F^der, like most of the hostelries of 
Genoa, of Venice, and of other Italian cities, is an 
ancient palace appropriated to this new service. The 
structure, half antique and half modern, has a strange 
appearance. At the foot of the court, obscure and 
abandoned, trickles an old fountain ; a narrow path 
passes under the windows of the chambers, and on 
every side can be discovered traces of former gran- 
deur, relics of a romantic age now superseded every- 
where by the plain practical life of to-day, whose chief 
end is money-getting. 

The companions obtained a large room on the 
third floor with two beds, the windows of which com- 
manded a fine view of the port, bristling with masts, 
like a garden of shrubs despoiled of their leaves by 
winter. In the distance the Mediterranean could be 
seen stretching away to the horizon. 

They had hardly entered the room when the young 



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JUDAISM AND POLAND. 31 

man fell exhausted into a chair, and seemed about to 
swoon for the second time. Some cologne revived 
him, and a slight repast soon dispelled his weakness, 
the result of long fasting and excessive fatigue. His 
strength returned with rest and nourishment. 

"And now," advised the Jew, "lie down on this 
couch, or perhaps it would be better to go to bed." 

''If you will permit me? " asked the young man 
timidly. 

" Nay, I beg you to do so." 

"And you?" 

" Oh, I will see Genoa this evening. Never mind 
me. I will amuse myself; all I^ask of you at present 
is to sleep ; and, mind, you must not even dream." 

He took his hat and cane and left the room. The 
young man fell like one dead on the bed, and was 
asleep before his head touched the pillow. Fatigue 
is not the same in old age as in youth, for then sleep 
soon restores the exhausted energies. 

The young traveller was awakened from his pro- 
foimd slumber by the discordant braying of the asses 
grouped under the windows of the hotel. He had 
forgotten the events of the past evening, and threw an 
astonished glance around the luxurious apartment. 
He who had for so long a time been accustomed to 
sleep in miserable lodgings now awoke in a pleasant 
room, and saw a simple but abundant breakfast spread 
out on the table beside him. 

The Jew returned from a sea-bath, prepared to do 
it honour. 



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32 THE JEW. 

" Is it then very late? '* murmured the Pole, rising 
from the bed. 

"No, not very late. I arose early to enjoy the 
freshness of the morning. Have you slept well ? '* 

" I know not." 

"How is that?" 

" I fell like a piece of lead. I rise as I fell without 
having stirred, without having moved even. I have 
slept the sleep of the dead." 

" And how do you feel at present ? " 

" Strong as Hercules, thanks to you." 

" Ah, bah ! thanks to youth. Does your head ache 
still?" 

" Not at all." 

" Then let us attend to breakfast." 

" You treat me too well, dear Amphitryon. This is 
a breakfast worthy of LucuUus and of the Sybarites. 
I have contented myself for a long while on awakening 
with a glass of sour wine and a piece of bread with 
cheese. A similar repast in the evening, and that was 
all. I cannot permit myself luxuries. I, a poor 
orphan, without future or friend, have never been 
pampered." 

" It is not necessary that this should hinder your 
eating," interrupted the Jew gayly. " I am hungry, 
and will set you an example. Let us begin. We will 
become better acquainted." 

" That is true ; we do not even know each other's 
names." 

"Very well. I have the honour to present you 
Jacob Hamon." 

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JUDAISM AND POLAND. 33 

" And I," said the Pole in his turn, " my friends 
have christened me familiarly with the name of Ivas. In 
reality I am called Jean Huba. Huba, and not Hube, 
which is a German name. You will learn it if you 
know Poland a little, for- 1 am from a Russian province^ 
in the language of which Huba signifies champignon. 
It is like the Polish Gzybowski or Gzybowicz. This 
name became later an addition to the family name of 
the Pstrocki who came from Masovia to gain their liv- 
ing in a more fertile land. In full, I am Jean Huba 
Pstrocki ex Masovia olim oriundus, in Russia posses- 
sionatus et natusJ^ 

" Have you any kindred there? " asked Jacob. 

" Neither kindred nor an inch of ground. I am an 
orphan in every sense of the word. My father, after 
losing his last cent, and seeing his little farm in 
Volhynie devastated by hail and other plagues, died, 
leaving me to the charity of men. From pity they 
sent me to school, where I passed the examination 
and entered the university." 

" Why did you leave the country ? " 

" Because with us college pranks are considered as a 
crime ; because we are not permitted to love our coun- 
try, neither in its past nor future ; because those who 
stifle seek the air. For writing some simple patriotic 
verses I was threatened with banishment to Siberia.** 

"Always the malady of the oppressed," remarked 
the Jew. "Where veterans are seen tearing up all 
their rights, the young try to reconquer, and, in their 
unreflecting enthusiasm, often find exile, misery, and 
death." 



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34 THE JEW, 

They both sighed, and Jacob asked : — 

** Why do you dream of returning to a country from 
which you were obliged to flee ? " 

" I know not myself," replied Ivas sadly ; " I only 
know that I return to my native land. Suffering has 
pushed me to it. I have not learned to live in any 
other country, and exile is to me intolerable, morally 
and physically. I left home believing that ideas of 
liberty, concord, light, and justice vibrated in the 
hearts of other men as in mine. Alas ! society is not 
what I thought it. It has no place for the oppressed, 
no hand to hold out to the dying, no consolation to 
offer to the afflicted, no shelter to the proscribed. I 
return, then, to the country I have left. There, at least, 
beat some generous hearts, while in Europe " — 

" Europe has grown old," interrupted Jacob. " She 
is afraid of quarrelling. The world is in the hands 
of charlatans who profit by the sufferings of mart)^^. 
Truth is no more comprehended. They mock at her. 
Men who are crafty and unscrupulous profit by 
everything in these days. Self-interest is the only 
spring of human interest. The heart has given out 
its last spark of generosity, and the world is drifting 
towards scepticism and intolerance. Men pride them- 
selves on unbelief, for liberty has degenerated into 
an unbridled license. Revolution has set up a pedestal 
for the ambition of impostors, and the apostles of 
progress make money out of their dupes. Fortunately 
humanity will grow better." 

While he was speaking, the sun rose high in the 



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JUDAISM AND POLAND, 35 

heavens, and the heat, which was great, made it un- 
comfortable to walk abroad. The Jew closed the 
shutters, and the two companions continued their con- 
versation in a subdued light and comparative coolness. 

" I ought to make myself known to you," said the 
Jew, after a short silence. "We understand each 
other already, but my exceptional position requires 
explanation. Our acquaintance, which commenced 
near Genoa, will not end here, I hope. You can tell 
me more of yourself later on, but it is right that I 
should be the first to make a frank confidence. It is 
a courtesy that I wish to show to our new-bom 
friendship. 

" The word * Jew ' contains all my history. It tells 
my destiny, it divines my character. This known, the 
consequences are certain. The Jew, even while he 
has ceased to be a pariah in society, still remains no 
less an enigma. For several thousand years he has 
borne engraved on his forehead his holy mission, — 
a mission of suffering, humility, and abasement. But 
from this deep abasement he comes out greater, to go 
forward toward the universal power he lends to the 
entire world. He builds and tears down thrones, 
dominates over govemments, makes laws, and reigns 
in an invisible manner. It is with pride that I say it, 
the word 'Jew * has immense significance. 

" Pardon me if I forget myself in speaking of the 
Jews. I feel myself a child of that great family on 
the foreheads of which the finger of Moses has in- 
scribed the mysterious name — Jehovah. 



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36 THE JEW, 

" Before being a man I am a Jew. This word recalls 
much suffering, the first legislation worthy of human- 
ity, the most ancient morals emanating from divine 
wisdom in the Ten Commandments. 

" As God is eternal, so are his laws. When nations 
were wandering and lost in the by-ways of polytheism 
and of anomalism (if I can by this word express the 
absence of laws), the one God is manifested to us ; and 
to us is communicated the sacred fire, which we have 
preserved during all ages. 

" We are spread over the whole world, holding fast 
the word of God. During two thousand years we 
have not made proselytes: we have guarded the 
treasure for ourselves. The world is busy, toils and 
labours ; and we live on, absorbed entirely in guarding 
this treasure. We are preserved in all our suffering, 
a distinct people, bearing everywhere our country in 
our hearts, in our holy books and our religious ser- 
vices, and in all the minute circumstances of life. 
But to-day, I fear, alas ! that we have thrown from 
our shoulders this dear burden. The Jewish idea 
seems to have diminished with the cessation of perse- 
cution. But to return to my personal history. 

" I was bom of one of those Jewish families scattered 
in the Polish villages. You probably know something 
of the Jews in Poland, a country that I love as well 
as you do, and on which I can cast only one reproach. 
The Poles, though deeply imbued with the idea of 
human dignity, refused the name of man to all those 
who were not noble. Poland, like the Republic of 



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JUDAISM AND POLAND, 37 

Venice, has not known how to reform herself. Caste 
prevailed to so great a degree that she has preferred 
to perish sooner than adopt a new mode of existence, 
and risk all in the defence of Hberty. Nevertheless, 
in the lives of these people I recognize a great and 
brilliant spirit like our own. In speaking of Poland, 
I do not call myself a Pole, for I am a Jew, and we 
are a distinct people, it matters not what land we 
dwell in. In judging Poland's past impartially, one 
can perhaps criticise, but must acknowledge that it is 
full of poetry ; it is a Homeric epoch." 

" Stop ! " cried the young Pole, " you are a son of 
the present ; do not excuse the past." 

" Why do you speak thus ? " 

" Why? Because I was bom in the midst of new 
ideas. I condemn the most brilliant epochs of our 
history, for they were the veritable cause of our ruin. 
We who are descended from those guardians of our 
rights are now their judges, and we justly consider as 
the greatest kings those who tried to crush the nobil- 
ity to establish their own power." 

" You are partly right. Nevertheless, when I medi- 
tate on Poland, she seems to me strange, frightful, at 
times almost savage, but always grand and magnificent, 
chivalrous and noble. No one has a better right than 
the Jew to condemn the Polish nobility, yet it is neces- 
sary to judge a nation without personal prejudice." 

" We will discuss this subject at another time," in- 
terrupted the young man ; " but there is really some- 
thing strange in the fact that I, a noble Pole, should 



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3$ THE JEW, 

condemn the past more than you, a Jew. You are 
truly magnanimous ! " 

Jacob smiled, and said, ** I am older than you, dear 
brother, if not in years, at least in experience. Suffer- 
ing, labour, and meditation, and perhaps, also, the sor- 
rows of bygone generations, have prematurely aged me." 

" That is true ; but tell me more about yourself." 

"Do not be impatient. I cannot do otherwise. 
We will travel over a rocky road, like the mineralo- 
gists. Every time that we encounter a curious stone 
we will strike it with our hammer to find out what it 
contains. So we will pause to discuss different sub- 
jects. But do you not remember that it will soon be 
time to go to Aqua Sola? " 

" Ah, yes ! It is true that we shall meet my beau- 
tiful benefactress, who, like the Samaritan, gave me aid 
in my distress." 

" This Italienne who bathed your temples with water, 
and at the same time, perhaps, lighted a fire in your 
heart. But between yesterday and to-day there is an 
abyss. Who knows how many will keep the rendez- 
vous at Aqua Sola? " 

" Do you think many will fail to put in an appear- 
ance?" 

" Experience has taught me to count very little on 
engagements twenty- four hours old, and not at all on 
those dating back several weeks." 

" The evening is still far off," said the Pole. 

"Very far. The sun is yet high in the heavens." 

" Then pray continue your autobiography." 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB, 39 



CHAPTER III. 

EDUCATION OF JACOB. 

" Who does not love to recall the occurrences of 
youth, however sad ? I cannot boast of happiness in my 
childhood, yet the memory of those days brings tears 
to my eyes, and I repeat that which is written in one 
of our books : * Youth is a garland of flowers \ old age, 
a crown of thorns.* Even in comparison with ma- 
turity, full of power and intelligence, those years seem 
to me strewn with flowers, although they were unhappy. 

"My parents were descended from an important 
and once wealthy family, whose fortunes had declined 
for several generations. They found themselves for a 
time in the lowest degree of society, working in the 
village inns or occupying themselves in some little 
business or petty speculations in wheat or cattle. To 
speak frankly, my father was an innkeeper in a little 
village. He was a quiet, studious man, loving his 
books, and little calculated for business. My mother 
took care of everything. She was the second wife of 
my father, Joel, who had lost his first after the- birth of 
a son, Joel, who was already well grown when I came 
into the world. 

"Joel, the elder, was of a gloomy character, silent, 
concentrated, a dreamer. He was absorbed in ab- 



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40 THE JEW, 

struse speculations, and was happy only when he was 
left in undisturbed possession of his books. He was 
generally esteemed on account of his learning, but his 
family suffered from his inaptitude for business, which 
was for us a question of life. 

" It has been, and is still, with the Jews, a traditional 
duty to amass wealth. This does not proceed from 
the character of the race, but from the conditions un- 
der which they live. The only rights accorded, or, 
rather, dearly sold, to the Jews can at any moment be 
revoked, suspended, or torn in shreds by the tribunal 
of the clergy. Where can justice be found? To 
whom can they complain ? The Jew has been forced 
to seek in gold, which is worshipped by all nations, the 
means of obtaining justice, rights, and consideration. 
The p^or Jew has no defence, no protection, but the 
head of the community to which he belongs. The 
Christians have, in a measure, made a religious duty 
of avenging the death of Christ on us ; this Christ who 
was a Jew also. We are therefore obliged to cling to 
our money as the only safeguard, though the law of 
Moses condemns severely this love of gold. (Exodus 
xxii. 25.) 

" My father could not be accused of enriching 
himself at the expense of others. In the end, 
plunged as he was in metaphysical studies, which 
made him forget the affairs of this world, he lost even 
the little hoard that had been saved with so much 
difficulty. All the care and labour fell on my poor 
mother, who was much younger, and therefore inter- 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB, 41 

ested in the future. I had two sisters younger than 
myself, and my half-brother was much older. 

" Our rural establishment consisted of a rented 
farm, and a tavern situated near a highway. The 
locality was much frequented. We were brought up 
in a continual bustle, which, however, did not disturb 
my father, who was too absorbed to notice it. My 
mother and two servants worked hard to satisfy their 
guests. It would have been a most profitable busi- 
ness, in spite of a neighbouring rival, if fortune had 
only smiled on us. But that which was made by the 
sale of brandy, hay, and oats was lost in other ways. 
In his transactions with the dealers in hides and cattle, 
my father always came out worsted. He attributed 
this ill-luck to the will of God ; but my mother grieved 
bitterly over his lack of business tact. We, grew 
poorer every day. The family jewels, my father's 
furs and clothes, all that we possessed of any value, 
were gradually parted with. 

"The owner of the tavern was a noble. Fat, 
hearty, always gay and good-humoured, he was a vi- 
veur; a heart good enough, but terribly dissipated. He 
cared not for the morrow, provided that to-day was 
passed agreeably. At all times he required money. 
He was our plague, although he was not wicked. 
Every time that he sent for Joel my mother wept, for 
she knew that he would have to take money with 
him. 

" At the manor-house, which was about half a mile 
from the tavern, there was always a gay company. 



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42 THE JEW, 

When he was alone a single day, Mieuta almost died 
of ennui. If no one came to amuse him, he ordered 
his horses, and went to visit his neighbours. His wife 
wept then, like my mother. She could not prevent 
his dissipation nor correct his faults, but, womanlike, 
she loved him in spite of all. To procure money 
with which to amuse himself was the sole object of 
this nobleman, and when he was told that he would 
ruin himself, he replied carelessly, ' Ah, bah ! Provi- 
dence will provide. I will die as I have lived.* " 

" Such types," said Ivas, " are common with us. 
Every district possesses several Micutas." 

" At the same time that he sent for Joel to bring 
him money," resumed the Jew, "his wife, Madame 
Mieuta, sent to my mother, and begged her not to give 
him any. But how could she resist when he was 
determined to have his way at any cost ? Joel always 
yielded to his demands. For his continual banquets 
it was necessary to have fish, meat, sugar and 
vegetables, spices and wine. And that was not all ; 
the accounts increased, and my father was obliged to 
give his note and pay usurious interest. 

" Naturally I, too young to understand the state of 
affairs, looked on the world around me, and found it 
wonderful. The tavern was always full of travellers. 
Behind our garden was a forest of oaks, where I loved 
to wander, listening to the warbling of birds and the 
rustling of the branches overhead. Now, I cannot 
interest myself thus in nature ; human beings interest 
me more. It i^ not given to every child to grow 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB. 43 

up in such a turmoil, and in the midst of a crowd of 
strangers continually going and coming. From it I 
learned that there were many people in the world, and 
at the same time that many of them were strangers. 
I realized that all these people were preoccupied, and 
cared nothing for us. My mother, in these early days, 
could pay little attention to me, occupied as she was, 
while my father prayed and read. We knew that she 
loved us, but she had no time to caress or to amuse us. 
I became accustomed at an early age to live alone. My 
thoughts were my companions, and a secret mistrust 
separated me from men. I loved, however, to observe 
them and to penetrate their characters. 

" I was still quite young when my father died, after 
a short illness. That day of mourning and lamenta- 
tion is engraved on my memory. It was then that I 
pronounced for the first time the words, as is the duty 
of all Israelites whom the hand of God has stricken, 
* Glory to Thee, equitable Judge, may Thy will be 
done.' 

"After the old man*s death, which left me an orphan, 
our landlord turned us out of the tavern in spite of my 
mother's entreaties. She rented a little inn situated 
near a mill, on the border of a forest. This place 
seemed pleasant to us, but here began hardships which 
children only do not feel. Instead of the incessant 
noise of our inn, full day and night, we now seldom 
saw any one, save that occasionally an individual came 
to the mill, and this ran only six months in the year, on 
account of lack of water. 



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44 THE JEW. 

" During this dull season we scarcely sold a barrel 
of brandy." 

" Around the little cabin murmured the pine-trees, 
and the narrow path which led to the mill was over- 
grown with trailing vines and herbs. We lived in this 
solitude on black bread and vegetables furnished by 
our little garden. My mother grew more despairing 
every day, and appealed to her relatives and to those 
of my father, but in vain. We were in rags, but yet 
we children were not unhappy. Presently I reached 
the age for study. My mother grieved over her in- 
ability to have me taught, and I remember that one 
day she left us under the protection of a poor Jew of 
the neighbourhood, and was gone for some weeks. 
She returned a little more tranquil, kissed my forehead 
and said, * Rejoice, my son, thou shalt soon have some 
one to instruct thee ! * 

" I realized so little the importance of this promise, 
that I was much more pleased with the sweet cakes 
which she brought me. You know what care the 
Israelites take in the education of their children, for it 
is in that way that we learn the laws and traditions of 
our people ; it is, in a word, the shaping of our souls. 
From the rabbi, at five years, every boy ought to learn 
the Bible ; at ten, the Michna ; at thirteen, the Divine 
Ordinances ; and at fifteen, the Gemara." 

Seeing an expression of incredulity spread over the 
lips of Ivas, Jacob paused. " I am aware," said he, 
" that these books have been ridiculed to you by men 
who are antagonistic to us. They know only the out- 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB. 45 

lines of their teachings, and that very superficially or 
by hearsay. It is, however, to these customs which 
appear ridiculous to you that we owe the fact that we 
have not disappeared from the face of the earth, nor 
become absorbed by other nations. Obscure as the 
text is, it merits our gratitude. 

I remember, as if it was yesterday, the arrival of my 
tutor. I was at the door of our cabin, when from a 
miserable vehicle alighted a being so deformed and of 
such a frightful appearance that he scarcely seemed 
human. The body of this creature was so bent by 
long study that he could not stand erect. He was 
hump-backed, and from his curved chest arose an 
enormous head, with a high forehead, from which 
shone a pair of piercing black eyes. His glance 
terrifies me even now in my dreams. It seemed as if 
he could penetrate one's inmost thoughts. The outer 
world was nothing to the owner of these eyes ; he lived 
for books alone. Lame in one foot, he walked with 
difficulty, leaning on a cane. It was more of a hop 
than a walk. 

" Such was my mentor. He came from the village, 
was called Moch6, and was celebrated in the vicinity for 
his great learning. His knowledge of sacred literature 
was most extensive. He recited by heart long passages 
of the Talmud and of the Kabala, without omitting a 
word, without forgetting an accent. His life was de- 
voted to the instruction of children and to self-culture. 
The world did not interest him; he lived entirely 
in the past. No doubt he would never have consented 



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46 THE JEW, 

to come to us, had he not been attracted by two boxes 
full of rare books, the heritage of my father. 

" Moch6 was a strict teacher, and insisted on the 
observance of all religious rules and traditions. He 
was a travelling encyclopedia which moved mechani- 
cally. I doubt if there ever was a more severe 
teacher. He fulfilled his functions without pity, 
almost with cruelty. 

" Deprived so suddenly of my liberty, I was forced 
to embrace so many studies that I thought I should 
lose my reason and become a fool. But, at any cost, I 
must learn to be a Jew, or perish. Mechanically my 
head was filled with words, with long tirades which I 
had to repeat without stopping, each intonation of 
which, required by the sense of the phrase, had to be' 
learned with care. In spite of the brutality of this 
method, it was a spur to my intelligence, which 
gradually opened and put itself in motion. 

" I commenced to study with some understanding. 
It is difficult to determine what influence on the mind 
of a child the study of past generations has. It is 
certain that, on commencing the study of the Bible 
and the history of my people, I believed myself 
awakened from a dream after a long slumber. Once the 
first difficulties vanished, I applied myself so ardently 
to study that Moch6 was astonished. It was not his 
custom to encourage children by pleasant words, but he 
showed himself less severe toward me, without, at any 
time, becoming affectionate. The only thing that annoyed 
him was when I asked explanations of the passages 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB. 4^ 

which we studied. Then he was cross, and rapped my 
fingers with a little rod which served him for pointing 
out the letters. He wished to chase from ray brain 
that which he considered premature pride. Moch^ 
often repeated to me, to pique me into emulation, that, 
following the rabbins, the world rests on the breath of 
children who learn the law of God, and not on the 
intelligence of savants. 

" Laugh, if you will, but these remembrances have a 
great charm for me." 

" That does not prevent me from laughing at your 
club-footed Moch6,'* said Ivas. 

" I do not dream of poetizing him. I even say that 
his severity rendered him almost a savage. Although 
he was always polite to my mother, he did not hesitate 
to reproach her for not keeping up our customs more 
rigidly. Then he would threaten to go away. 

" For us Moch6 was a sort of bugbear. Yet when 
he was roused he became almost grand. Then the 
brightness of his soul became so apparent that you did 
not think of his body. When he recited to us the suf- 
ferings of Israel the tears rolled down his cheeks, he was 
excited almost to frenzy. His voice was broken with 
sobs, and he often sang the verses in an inspired voice. 
In these moments his hair was pushed back from his 
forehead, and his body shook with a nervous tremor, 
produced by extreme susceptibility and appreciation 
of the subject ; his memory was prodigious. 

" Such is a brief sketch of my master, not flattering, 
but very like him. 



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48 THE JEW. 

" It was he who made me read the first books of the 
Bible, or rather who made me weep over them. He 
was so conscientious that, having recognized in me a 
certain ability, he advised my mother to send me to a 
neighbouring town to finish my education. 

" Thanks to him, at thirteen, following our custom, I 
read publicly in the Synagogue passages from the Holy 
Scriptures, and I was made one of the ten officiants of 
the temple, the number necessary for the assembly to 
be considered complete. 

" It was exceedingly difficult for my poor mother to 
remove. But she resolved to use every effort in my 
behalf. Miserable as our existence was near the mill, 
it had some advantages, for our rent was very low, and 
we had fuel, thanks to the woods which surrounded 
our cabin, and vegetables from our little garden. In 
the town we should have had to pay for everything, 
even water. How could we live ? How could she do 
it? How transport her children thither? And after 
getting there, on what resources could we subsist ? 

" While my mother racked her brain to find an an- 
swer to these questions, my half-brother, having already 
amassed a little fortune by selling hides, came to pay 
us a visit. 

" This unlooked-for event was of great importance 
to us. We had not seen him for a long time. He 
was nearly thirty years old, and was married. His 
wife's marriage portion and a little heritage from my 
father formed a small capital, which he had known how 
to increase. The first year of his married life he had 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB, 49 

lived at the expense of his wife's parents, who were 
willing to do an)rthing in their power. Afterward he 
established himself separately, and little by little in- 
creased his business. Fortune, which had frowned on 
our father, smiled on the son. This gave him courage ; 
economical,cold, prudent, he devoted all his intelligence 
to the success of his projects. To be rich was his aim, 
and he was convinced that he should succeed. He was 
not yet well enough off to draw money from his busi- 
ness to aid us, but he brought us news of relations of 
my mother's, who, touched at last by her sad situation, 
sent her a small sum of money to invest in some busi- 
ness, the profits of which might educate my sisters and 
me. My mother wept with joy. We children were 
sad when we heard that we were to leave the mill and 
the forest, but we soon became accustomed to the life 
of a town. 

" The elder brother was received with great affec- 
tion. My mother asked him if he knew of any way 
for her to invest the money. Joel, who wished to in- 
crease his business, proposed that she invest the sum 
with him and share his house. She agreed to the 
proposition, and the next day, impatient for the 
change, sent for a vehicle to remove from the cabin. 

" Here commenced the second period of my life. 
You have seen that my childhood was not cradled on 
a bed of roses, that I have suffered, and that suffering 
was the sun which hastened my development. As 
the sun's rays make the flowers blossom, so hardship 
forced my character to unfold. Those years have left 



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50 THE JEW, 

me memories, for the most part disagreeable. Mem- 
ories of ruin, of labour, of fighting against hunger, 
cold, and the contempt of men which paralyzed the 
intelligence, and prevented one from rising above 
bodily occupations. It is permitted to poets, or 
rather to those who give themselves out as such, to 
exalt in nature an impossible idealism and to rebel 
against materialism. But, alas ! on regarding actual 
life, how many needs we have, and how much is re- 
quired for mere existence ! 

" Man in full strength can battle with nature and 
poverty and come out conqueror. It is, nevertheless, 
very difficult to rid one's self of the cares of each day, 
the rock of Sisyphus which rolls back on us continually. 
The Jews were very numerous in our town ; indeed, 
they formed the larger part of the population. We 
had a synagogue with which I was very much im- 
pressed, for until then I had seen only the miserable 
cabins which we used for places of worship. I could 
for the first time form a just idea of our religious 
ceremonies, and of the sabbath which draws us away 
from the world, restores us to God, and brings us 
nearer, in a measure, to our lost country. The baking 
of bread, a part of which is given to the poor, the 
setting of the table, the prayers in common, the 
blessing of the wine, all the customs recall the patri- 
archal epoch when God was with us, and took, in a 
way, part in human existence. 

" To-day you Christians and we Jews have driven 
God from our presence, and we have forgotten him. 



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EDUCATfON OF JACOB. 51 

Man made by the hands of the Creator b;;iieves him- 
self a god, and anthropology is the contemporary 
religion. 

" In my brother's house we dwelt in unity as one 
family, of which he was the head. The women pre- 
pared in common the evening meal, and what was 
needed for the morrow. When the hour for prayer 
in the synagogue arrived, an old priest rapped on the 
shutters three times with his mallet of wood, and we 
set out toward the temple bearing our books under 
our arms. The synagogue was an old building, dating 
from the sixth century. It had cost the community 
much money, for when they were building it the pro- 
prietor of the place, who was a Catholic, the Prince 

K , had little toleration. The Jews, who had 

for worship only a little wooden house with a worm- 
eaten roof, solicited permission to build a new temple ; 
which was granted to them only because money was 
needed by the proprietor, and it was not plenty just 
then, there having been a war. The Jews profited by 
his necessity to buy from the prince a plot of ground 
and the right to erect thereon a brick synagogue. 
The traditions of the neighbourhood speak of a colossal 
sum paid for the privilege. During the construction 
the workmen were ordered to undo their work, and 
to pull down the carved balls which ornamented the 
roof and made the synagogue more imposing than 
any of the surrounding buildings. However, such as 
it was, with its style much less Gothic than was planned, 
it seemed to my childish eyes fully equal to Solomon's 
Temple. 

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52 THE JEW, 

" I continued my studies with ardour. My teach- 
ers found in me much aptitude, and I had an insatia- 
ble desire to learn. 

" Our little town, except on market-days, was not 
one of the most frequented, although it ranked 
among the most important. It was traversed by a 
thoroughfare on which a continual procession passed 
to and fro. Our co-religionists had founded a school 
here. As the Catholics had an important church, and 
the principal population was composed of the govern- 
ment employes, it was necessary, in order to remain 
unmolested, to pay without ceasing. 

"I soon learned to conduct myself differently 
toward each person, according to his position on the 
social ladder. 

"In general the Jew owes tribute to every one, 
commencing with the door-keepers of the Lords, and 
the wives of their door-keepers. 

"One day returning from my class I found the 
house in a commotion. I feared at first that there 
had been an accident. The smiling faces reassured 
me. They awaited the arrival of an important per- 
son. My mother pulled me into the house, and 
ordered me to array myself in my best. My brother 
was already dressed. On the table there was brandy, 
with sweets, honey cake, white bread, spiced bread, 
and even a bottle of wine. I learned that he whom 
we were to receive with so much ceremony was my 
mother's cousin, a rich merchant from Warsaw. He 
was coming to decide about my future. 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB, 53 

" I imagined in my childish brain a man of impos- 
ing figure with a long beard and a biblical costume 
recalling patriarchal times. I was still in this dream 
when a man appeared that I should have taken for a 
Christian. He was dressed differently from us, wore 
spectacles and a round hat. He had passed his first 
youth, had heavy eyebrows, large features, black eyes, 
and a smooth face. His complexion was rosy, his 
figure corpulent, and he evidently considered himself 
a man of importance. 

" My mother told me to kiss the hand held out to 
me so majestically. Afterward he examined me at- 
tentively, caressed my chin, joked about the cap that 
I wore, and finished by blowing a cloud of smoke in 
my face from the cigar he was smoking. After the 
preliminaries, he said in German, in a patronizing 
voice, ' I think we can make a man out of this boy.* 
We all listened to him as to an oracle, because he was 
enormously rich, and my future depended on him. 

" ' What think you ? ' added he addressing my 
mother, ' I will take care of him, but not in your 
way.' Then turning to my brother he continued : 
'There are already enough Jews employed in little 
ways, keeping taverns in the villages. The cause of 
it is our ignorance.' 

"'Nevertheless,' replied Joel, 'this boy is not ig- 
norant ; he has been well taught, and he is now learn- 
ing to read in the Gemara.' — ' Ah ! What does he 
want of the Gemara? ^Do you think of making him 
a rabbi? It is necessary for us in these days to 



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54 THE JEW, 

go everywhere, and not remain in a corner ! Why 
these ear-rings in the ears? Why that iarmulka? 
These are all remnants of the Middle Ages. The 
time of our persecution is almost past. The world 
opens to us. We must be ready to play an impor- 
tant r61e. The Jew has good sense and judgment, 
which he has preserved through hundreds of years of 
suffering. Why can he not enjoy the same advan- 
tages as Christians ? Why is not our education as 
well developed as theirs ? With that we can remain 
Israelites in the bottom of our hearts.' 

" In spite of their respect for this wealthy kinsman 
my mother and my brother could not agree with him, 
for his remarks shocked their traditional ideas. With- 
out noticing this impression he continued : — 

" * I ought not to forget that I am a Jew, and to 
keep my faith in the citadel of my soul, but outwardly 
appear in the world on an equal footing with other 
men, as all sensible Jews do, in strange countries, and 
even in the kingdom of Poland. I have examined this 
lad attentively. He is worthy of Israel. I will oc- 
cupy myself with his education, but we must send him 
to the Christian schools. He must commence to go 
to them here. Afterward send him to me, and I will 
take care of him.* 

" * You are our benefactor ! ' cried my mother. 
* But you know that many of our people have aban- 
doned their belief, and are equally despised by the 
Jews and the Christians. How, then, will he preserve 
his paternal traditions? ' 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB. 55 

"*And why should he not preserve them? You 
must banish your puerile fears, otherwise he will 
vegetate like a good-for-nothing in rags and misery, 
where you are, instead of being like me. I still re- 
main a Jew. I go to the synagogue, and I observe 
the law/ but no doubt less strictly than you/ 

** All this conversation is engraven in my memory, 
and it fixed my destiny. 

'^ Having learned that our kinsman had arrived from 
Warsaw, Abraham Machnowiecki, the oracle of the 
Jews in our town, came to pay us a visit. His 
was a common type in our community; he was a 
Polish Jew of the old school, a Polish Israelite, 
though he could not give so complete an account of 
his descent as Mickiewicz has so well set forth in 
his Jankiel. Abraham was an important man in his 
part of the country. He had continual relations with 
all the proprietors. He knew their ^families, their 
situation, their business, in a word, all that concerned 
them. He was much interested in electoral meet- 
ings. He was consulted on all subjects, and in the 
most delicate affairs he was often chosen arbiter. He 
was esteemed because he was worthy of esteem ; he 
was received everywhere with courtesy, and offered a 
place of honour, while his co-religionists were left 
standing at the door. Without Abraham nothing of 
importance was done. His bearing was full of dig- 
nity ; he was very tall, and wore a white beard, which 
fell almost to his girdle. His ordinary costume was a 
black redingote, a czapka of sable, and in summer 



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56 THE JEW, 

a wide-brimmed felt hat. A silver-headed cane com- 
pleted the dress, by which he was recognized from 
a distance. 

*' In his dwelling, which was one of the best of the 
neighbourhood, there were always visitors on business. 
He was the banker of half the proprietors, and he 
lent or procured money. 

"The science of Abraham went no further than that 
of most Jews, but he had a quick intelligence and a 
great knowledge of men. His predominant quality 
was an imperturbable calmness. He was never an- 
noyed, never gave any signs of impatience, and showed 
in all things an undisturbed moderation. He was not 
communicative, words came slowly from his lips, and 
he was thoroughly trustworthy. Very much attached 
to his faith and its customs, he was yet not a fanatic. 

" This oracle so generally respected was absolutely 
devoid of pride. He did not demand the considera- 
tion which was naturally given him. 

" The appearance of Abraham at our house was rare, 
and you may infer that this extraordinary circumstance 
was owing to an invitation from my mother, who felt 
the need of his advice. Our elegant kinsman seemed 
less sympathetic before the grave Abraham. His some- 
what frivolous manner became more offensive compared 
with the conduct of the other Israelite, who was, at the 
same time, dignified and amiable. The meeting of 
these men — one of whom, a free thinker, had lost almost 
all traces of Judaism ; the other, a biblical character 
— was very interesting and aroused my curiosity. 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB. ^j 

" Our relative, in all the pride of a man full of his 
own importance, was hardly polite to the old man. 
My mother's cousin did not abandon his cigar, and 
began to laugh on regarding the Jew's long curly hair, 
iamulka, the old-fashioned costume, and gigantic cane. 

" It did not take Abraham long to recognize in our 
kinsman a type of modem Jew that he had often met 
before. 

" ' It is very kind of you,' said he, ' to take an interest 
in this unfortunate family. Would to God every one 
would do the same ! The book Nedarin says : " Hon- 
our the sons of the poor who are the brightness of our 
religion." ' 

"'I wish to do so truly,' replied the Varsovien care- 
lessly. * I wish to make of this young relative a sound 
and healthy branch of our community. That is why 
I have proposed to send him to school with the other 
children.' 

" * You will cast him in the fire to see if he is gold ? 
If he be gold, he will remain gold ; if he be of base 
metal, he will melt.' 

'* ' They tell me he has good faculties. It is necessary 
to develop them.' 

" ' Provided that he does not lose his faith. That is 
why I think that it will not do to remove him from 
our schools until he is well grounded in his religion. 
When the potter wishes to make an impression on a 
vase of clay,, he sees that the vase goes to the studio 
soft and plastic' 

** ' How old is he ? ' asked our cousin. 



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58 THE JEW. 

"* Thirteen years.' 

" ' You have probably/ continued he, ' a good 
common school here ; he must go to it.* 

"*Why not?' replied Abraham; 'but the poor 
child will suffer much.' 

" * Who, then, has not had trials ? You see me. I 
am worth to-day two millions, perhaps more, and I 
commenced by selling blacking and matches in the 
streets.' 

" The old Abraham murmured in a low voice a text 
from the Book of Judges which said : ' One must en- 
dure the sun's bursting rays because it is indispensable 
to the world.' 

" Then he put his hand on my head and blessed 
me, praying in a low voice, reassured my mother, and 
the conversation became general. Child as I was, I 
remember this scene very well. It was shared by 
many listeners, for the Jews had come from all sides 
to see this great personage who honoured us with a 
visit. Our cousin entered into the development of 
his ideas, which were that the time had come for the 
Jews to go out and mingle with the world, and to leave 
the narrow circle where they had remained so long 
from an exaggerated fear of losing their faith and 
nationality. 

" * We have suffered long enough,' said he. * We 
ought to enjoy ourselves to-day, and occupy the place 
which belongs to one of the most ancient peoples of 
the earth. We possess rapidity of conception, facility 
to acquire all the sciences and arts ; we have money, 



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EDUCATION OF JACOB, 59 

which levels everything, and at the same time we are 
united, and this cohesion can accomplish great things. 
Why then stagnate scattered in these little country 
towns? Why not strike out? See the ""ews of other 
lands. You find them in the ministry, th j parliament, 
and in high positions. They march to ;.he conquest 
of civil and political rights, wherever these rights are 
still refused them.* 

" Abraham listened without contradiction, and ap- 
peared sad and thoughtful ; as to our other co-relig- 
ionists they heartily agreed with our kinsman. He 
finished by citing as example a celebrated Jew. 

" This was an epoch which was not soon forgotten 
in our little town. It provoked a movement which 
swayed the whole community, with the exception of a 
few old conservatives. I remained at home the rest 
of that year, th6n I entered the common school. It 
was the first time that a Jew had seated himself on a 
bench beside Christian children. I knew beforehand 
what awaited me, but that which I endured surpassed 
my worst fears. 

" The larger part of the scholars were the children 
of petty nobles or of the bureaucracy, students well 
grown. Their instincts were more than cruel. It 
was a veritable torment, — torment unceasing. I grew 
accustomed to continual attacks, and passed in silence 
the insults which were showered on me. Jokes about 
pork were met with, even in the mouths of the masters ; 
what could I do but keep silence ? My humility and 
silence were a sort of defence, The first days were 



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6o THE JEW, 

intolerable ; but, little by little, I became accustomed 
to my comrades, and they to me. After a while they 
left me in peace on my solitary bench. The new 
method of teaching was strange to me, but awakened in 
my mind a desire to excel. The knowledge that I 
had accumulated increased. I resolved to continue 
my studies, and to wait until the strength of science 
and of the truth enlightened my mind." 



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AQUA SOLA. 6l 



CHAPTER IV. 

AQQA SOLA. 

As he finished his sentence, Jacob perceived that it 
was growing late. He remembered the rendezvous 
at Aqua Sola. 

" I feel," said he, " that you are bored. Excuse 
me, kind listener. It is the only mode of recital that 
I understand. I cannot be brief, but must digress. 
To render my story intelligible, it is necessary to in- 
fuse life and colour." 

" No excuse is necessary," replied Ivas. " I am in 
no hurry to know the end ; let us go slowly." 

" Yes, we will finish it later on ; but now it is time 
to go to Aqua Sola." 

The evening had brought with it a little freshness. 
Many had already left old Genoa for the new part 
of the city. The streets called Nuova, Nuovissima, 
Balbi, and Aqua Sola were full of people. The men 
were dressed more or less in costume, and the women 
were enveloped in floating white veils which only 
partly concealed their graceful figures. 

The companions walked through the dark, narrow 
streets until they arrived at the hill, which is the only 
point of verdure in that city of marble. 

" I am very curious," said Ivas, " to know if we 



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62 THE JEW, 

shall find many of our late companions at the rendez - 
vous." 

" Well, we shall see presently," said Jacob. " A day 
is long, and human nature changeable." They soon 
came to the steps which led to the promenade, in 
whose centre murmured a fountain, near which a fine 
band sent forth its inspiring strains. The crowd was 
compact : a Genoese crowd composed of soldiers, 
workmen, and priests, of sunburnt women, and tour- 
ists, among whom were many English. Aqua Sola is 
not much frequented by the aristocracy, who shut 
themselves up in their palaces or villas, nor by the 
bourgeoisie, who have their gardens at Nervi. One, 
therefore, meets at Aqua Sola two classes only, — 
the tourists or the regular habitues. 

Jacob and Ivas strolled slowly along the principal 
walk, talking of the country and of the future of hu- 
manity. They had not yet noticed the arrival of the 
phlegmatic German, who had been distinguished for 
his silence at the Albergo della Grotto ; but he soon 
approached them, and smilingly said : " I am very 
happy to meet you again, messieurs, and to be able 
to inquire for our invalid of yesterday. At the same 
time, I will excuse myself for not remaining long in 
your society. I have a chance to hire a veturino at 
half-price to Pisa. I shall have for a companion the 
privy councillor, Zuckerbeer. We leave to-day." 

" What a pity ! " cried Jacob in German, not wish- 
ing to inflict the French language on his interlocu- 
tor, and desiring also to escape torture himself from 



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AQUA SOLA. 63 

the execrable pronunciation of the compatriot of 
Goethe. 

" What a pity ! We should have had such a pleas- 
ant time together this evening." 

On hearing his native language, the German 
beamed on him and smiled ; but, in spite of the temp- 
tation to remain, he sacrificed pleasure to duty. 
Order and economy were his two predominant vir- 
tues, and the society of the privy. councillor would be 
a consolation. 

" The Councillor von Zuckerbeer," said he, " counts 
on me. I have given him my word ; I am, therefore, 
absolutely obliged to go." 

Jacob no longer urged him. He saluted, and said 
farewell, in the valley of Jehoshaphat. The German 
said adieu to his acquaintance of the day before with- 
out much regret. At the bottom of his heart he 
feared that the Pole was a dangerous revolutionist, a 
republican conspirator, an admirer of Garibaldi and 
Mazzini. If so, he was wise to renounce in time such 
a compromising acquaintance. 

He had hardly disappeared when the Tsigane pre- 
sented himself; smiling as ever, he fanned himself 
with his handkerchief; his waistcoat was unbuttoned, 
but the heated temperature seemed, nevertheless, very 
agreeable to him. He was in good spirits, and his 
expression was as joyful as was possible to one with 
such features. 

" Well," cried he, "how do you like Genoa? For 
my part I find too much noise, too many asses bear- 



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64 THE JEW, 

ing casks, and too few men by comparison, and the 
air is full of bad smells. It has the colour of the 
Orient, but the Orient is lacking. I will concede to 
you that Genoa possesses the perfumes of Constanti- 
nople. Oh ! my poor olfactory nerves ! What tor- 
ture ! Were we presented to each other yesterday? 
I have a bad memory, but you already know that I 
am a Tsigane, and, perhaps, my race will inspire you 
with aversion." 

" You are wrong there," said Jacob, " for I have no 
aversion to any race." 

" My name is Stamlo Gako," said the Tsigane. 
" My father was at the head of his tribe. But I have 
abandoned the collective wandering life for solitary 
vagabondage. I am thus, as you see, alone in the 
world. I would have been still using the same old 
pans and kettles had it not been for my beautiful bass 
voice, which gained me a place at the theatre. I 
saved some money, and invested it for the first time in 
the lottery. I won a large sum of money. Some of 
this I scattered in extravagance, but I kept enough to 
place me above want for the rest of my life. It is 
agreeable to me to live in idleness. I go or I stay, as 
I choose, but my forehead is marked indelibly. No 
one s)rmpathizes with me, and I am indifferent to the 
world. A stupid life, if you will; but I would not 
change it for any other, for I am attached to it. 1 
have no duties ; that is to say, I am freed from every- 
thing, — from all belief, all hope, and all occupation. 
I weary myself comfortably, and my idleness is well 



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AQUA SOLA, 65 

ordered. In winter I go north ; one suffers less there 
fix>m the colds, on account of the houses being well 
wanned. I live in hotels, I eat well, I make passing ac- 
quaintances, I frequent the theatres, and in summer I 
go to Italy and sometimes return to my people in Hun- 
gary. There are yet there some individuals of my race 
and of my blood, but fortunately I have not a single 
near relative to persecute me. Hungary is for me a 
sort of home. I have learned to read, and a book 
with well-turned phrases serves me admirably to kill 
time, but in general I consider literature as useless. 
The best books contain more folly than reasonable 
thoughts. All human wisdom can be written on the 
palm of the hand." 

" I am without country, like you,** said Jacob, who 
had perceived that the Tsigane had drunk a little too 
much, " but I look on life differently. I have an aim, 
for I have brothers among men. You, who are better- 
informed than other Tsiganes, you can do much for your 
people if you will. It would be a grand thing for you 
to become a reformer and benefactor to your people.** 

"What would you do with the Tsiganes?** replied 
Gako showing his white teeth. " We are only a hand- 
ful of living beings that God or the devil has thrown 
on the earth. What would you do with a cursed race 
without ambition or place? At least, do not ask me 
to conduct them to the Ganges, whence it is said they 
originaUy came. ' You shall perish ! * such is the 
sentence against us. And we are perishing slowly. 
We shall disappear in time. Look at our women ! 



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dlS THE JEW, 

At Moscow, singers an^ dancers, fortune-tellers and 
jades, always among the ragamuffins and beggars. In 
what language shall I speak to them of the future? 
Do the brutes understand anything? Like fruit that 
falls from the tree, we are a decayed people without 
root." 

"Then change your nationality." 

" Petrify myself ! never ! We will be Tsiganes as 
long as it pleases God. In the night of the ages," 
added Gako in a mysterious voice, " there was a terri- 
ble crime which we expiate, some fratricide of which 
we cannot wash our hands. I possess all that can make 
man happy on this earth, yet I shall never be happy. 
I have counted the number of days that I have to live. 
I will submit to my destiny." 

Just then the two Italians arrived — Alberto Primate 
and Luca Barbaro. 

They had a contented and satisfied look. They 
breathed their native air voluptuously, trod the soil of 
Italy, and viewed with joy the tri-colored flag floating 
in the breeze. 

Luca Barbaro carried a sketch-book in his hand, 
Primate, a roll of music. 

" Greeting, brothers," said the first. " How is your 
health? This delicious temperature ought to com- 
pletely cure you. What do you think of good old 
Genoa?" 

" She reminds us somewhat of the Middle Ages," 
replied Jacob. 

" Does she not speak to you of the future?" asked 



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AQUA SOLA. 67 

one of the Italians. " Do you not then feel that deli- 
cious breath of springtime which promises to all na- 
tions a garland of flowers ? " 

"Utopist ! " interrupted the Israelite sadly. "The 
springtime comes not at the same time for all lands. 
Men are brothers in words, but not in deeds. Each 
one is ready to become a fratricide in self-defence. 
Little by little humanity will perhaps come out of the 
shadows of servitude, of charlatanism and egotism, 
which stifle all generous tendencies in order to satisfy 
the thirst for gold and grandeur.'* 

" Do not blaspheme ! " cried Luca. " I beUeve in 
humanity. It is possible that there is a handful of vile 
reactionists and a band of miserable charlatans, but in 
general men are the sons of God. By music, painting, 
literature, and devotion, souls will open, all hearts will 
be purified, intelligence will develop, virtue will spread 
abroad, and soon a luminous springtime will brighten 
the world." 

"Amen ! " cried Primate ; "amen ! But I have a 
question to ask you. We have come here to rest, have 
we not?" 

" Yes ! Yes ! Certainly ! " 

" Very well ; for once let us leave the subjects of 
philosophy and politics. Leave all that to the re- 
actionists. Let us amuse ourselves with art and with 
life." 

Luca kissed his compatriot's forehead. " Poverino ! 
he is wearied by me, for I have given him no rest. 
He bears in his heart three things only : woman, love, 
and music." 



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68 THE JEW, 

Just then the group was augmented by the Dane. 

" Plague take it ! " said he ; " if I had known that 
la belle dame would not be here, I would not have 
tired myself out to join you. I had a great desire to 
go to the theatre ; primitive and barbarous as it is, 
I might have passed an agreeable evening there. I 
have been drawn to Aqua Sola by the remembrance 
of two lovely eyes, a little faded, perhaps, but full of 
expression. If she had been coming she would be 
here by this time. I have been deceived." 

" You have yet time to go to the theatre," said the 
Tsigane indifferently, as he lit his cigar. 

" Very true ! But if, by chance, she should come. 
She, the unknown. She? Who is she? " 

" A retired artiste singing only occasionally, as she 
has told us herself," replied the Tsigane ; " a priestess 
of Thalia. I doubt if she is a Vestal. Hum ! " 

"Widow," added Luca. 

" A widow ! The title is appropriate. But she is 
escorted by two admirers," said the Dane : a Russian 
and a Pole. Who are they? Are they rich or poor ? 
How long has she known them? Chi lo sa?'^ 

" Chi losa?** repeated Primate. 

And Barbaro added : " We know that the Russian 
is a refugee. If, in leaving his country, he has brought 
his purse with him he is a dangerous rival, for the 
Russians are said to be fabulously rich. It is said 
that each noble receives from the Czar his share of 
the gold mines of the Ural Mountains. But if in 
saving his head he has not saved his purse, and if he 



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AQUA SOLA. 69 

has no private resources, he becomes much less 
vubierable. As for the young Galician, he has his 
youth, which is a capital. But you, messieurs, as 
Poles, can better judge of the worth of your com- 
patriot." 

" The Galician nobles," said Ivas, " ordinarily bear 
the title, more or less authentic, of Count. Many of 
them have been rich, but since 1848 they frequently 
give themselves an appearance of riches. I do not 
believe that the young man is a dangerous rival." 

" Behold her ! Behold her ! " cried the Dane sud- 
denly, perceiving the brunette at the end of the street, 
looking more attractive to-day than yesterday. " What 
do I see ? She is alone with the Russian ! A bad 
sign ! The Galician was evidently in the way. The 
plot thickens ! Yesterday when there were two gal- 
lants there was room for a third ; but when there is 
only one it is difficult for another to get a foothold." 

" He is very wise in the art of loving," remarked 
the Tsigane. 

The charming Lucie Coloni approached. She was, 
in reality, in the full height of her beauty, and she had 
had time to augment her many attractions by the 
toilet. Her eyes were humid without having wept, 
and a sweet smile played on her lips. The Russian 
accompanied her, appearing melancholy in contrast 
with her gayety. She went up to Ivas, and held out a 
little hand, elegantly gloved, asking with much solici- 
tude, " Fa ^^«^ / " 

" Thanks, madame. No trace of yesterday's illness. 



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7o THE JEW. 

The scar which remains on my temple will be for me 
an indelible souvenir of your goodness." 

" Flatterer ! '* replied she, shrugging her shoul- 
ders. 

The Russian affected an exaggerated politeness to 
show his ease of manner. 

"We are not complete," said he. 

"One is lacking," repHed Jacob. "We sh see 
him no more. It is the German. He has found a 
cheap way of going to Pisa with a privy councillor, 
and he has profited by it. One does not travel every 
day with dignitaries, lately granted a von who knows 
for what secret service? This voriy fresh and new, 
comes out of the bandbox with the perfume of a half- 
blown rose. But you also, madame, you have lost 
one of your companions." 

"Yes, the count. He was obliged to leave this 
afternoon for Spezia." 

" Yesterday he did not speak of this project," said 
the Dane. 

The Russian seemed to be looking at the sea, a 
little of which was visible from where they stood. 
The lady bit her lips to avoid laughing, fanned herself 
negligently, and said : — 

" I really do not know what has taken him. He 
was perhaps frightened by his compatriots. It is for 
you, messieurs, to clear this mystery." 

" What country is this Galicia? The youth assured 
me that he was neither Polish nor Austrian, but a 
Galician." 



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AQUA SOLA. 71 

Ivas and Jacob exchanged a smile, without replying. 

"We will not wear mourning for him ! " cried Ivas. 

" I regret him, however," replied Lucie. " He would 
have become a very agreeable man, but as yet he re- 
sembles those Italian nuts shut up in a bitter shell." 

They all laughed. 

" Aqua Sola ! How sweet the words sound ! " con- 
tinued she, walking at the head of the procession. 
" But how little it is, shabby, and even tiresome. What 
trees, what drops of water, a disagreeable crowd, 
plenty of dust, and only in the distance a glimpse of 
the sea ! Povera Genova ! " 

"And yet," observed the Muscovite, "what mar- 
vels were promised us." 

The cosmopolite Dane profited by an opportunity 
to place himself beside the lady. This was too signifi- 
cant, and she gave him a haughty look which he did 
not perceive. This look seemed to say : " No use. 
No hope for you ! " 

Lucie occupied herself more with Ivas than the rest 
of the company. In a sweet voice she asked : " You 
goto Poland?" 

" Yes, madame," replied he smiling. 

" I am very superstitious," said she ; " and as I also 
go to Poland, I consider it a good omen to have 
made the acquaintance of a Pole on my way." 

" Poland, madame, is to-day an abstraction. There 
is no Poland, and yet there are several : Russian Po- 
land, the Kingdom of Poland raised up by the Congress 
of Vienna, Prussian Poland, and Austrian Poland." 



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72 THE JEW. 

" I really do not know to which Poland I am going. 
Tell me, where is Warsaw?" 

"It is, in a way, my native city. One of the 
ancient capitals of Poland, and the last ; to-day the 
capital of that ideal Poland which is yet to be es- 
tablished." 

" I lose myself in all this geography ! Do you 
also go to Warsaw?" 

"Yes, madame. But I do not know wnether I 
shall arrive there, and whether, on arriving, I shall not 
be sent much farther toward the Asiatic steppes." 

" You are very unfortunate, you Poles." 

" Our misfortunes pass all conception. But do not 
let us speak of it. How is it, madame, that you go to 
Warsaw?" 

"From curiosity only," replied she, lowering her 
eyes. " It is possible also that I may sing in some 
theatre." 

" Oh ! You are sure to be admirably received. 
Colonel Nauke is very fond of Italian music, and 
as soon as he knows " — 

"You will introduce me to him? " 

" I, madame, it is impossible ! I shall be obliged 
to conceal myself. To be seen would be for me 
death or exile." 

" If I could at least meet you there ! " 

Ivas sadly shook his head. The Dane, very at- 
tentive to the conversation, concluded that she in- 
tended to leave the Russian, who, of course, as he was 
a refugee, could not return to the land of the Czars. 



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AQ(/A SOLA. 73 

This idea did honour to his acquaintance with po- 
litical geography, of which nearly all European jour- 
nalists are absolutely ignorant. 

" And you go alone ? " asked he. 

" No, not alone. But, monsieur, you annoy me 
with your questions. Really I do not know yet what 
I shall do, and I do not like to speak of the future. 
That will be accomplished in one way or another. 
Chi lo sa f " 

" I am ready to follow you to the end of the 
world ! *' cried her cosmopolite adorer enthusiastically. 

"You are jesting, monsieur, and I do not like jests 
of this kind. In any case, I do not count on you as a 
companion." 

"What a pity that she is so savage ! ** said her ad- 
mirer to himself. 

The Russian listened passively, without mingling 
in the conversation. 

" I am very curious to visit Poland and Russia," 
said Lucie Coloni. They say that the Poles and 
Russians understand and love music, that they are en- 
thusiastic dilettanti." 

" There have been such instances in Poland," said 
Jacob. " In regard to Russia I know nothing. But 
monsieur can tell us that in his country they love art 
less than the artistes. In Poland there is now room 
only for a single sentiment. The future has but one 
aim. Do the witches of Shakespeare watch at the dark 
cross-roads, or will the angels lend their aid? God 
alone knows. From Warta to the frozen sea the earth 



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74 THE JEW, 

is in travail, hearts beat with violence, the battle is 
preparing, there will be something frightful which will 
shake the very foundations of the earth. What song, 
sweet though it be, can be heard by ears which await 
a signal which will sound like a thunderclap?" 

" Perhaps," said Lucie, " I shall have the happiness 
of singing your song of triumph." 

" Or a death hymn," added Jacob sadly. 

"Or rather a song intermezzo which makes one 
forget the tragedy of life," replied la Coloni. " I 
grant to you that this Europe, cold, dull, dead, worn 
out, blase, has for me the effect of a withered bouquet 
picked up out of the dust. It has no longer a spark 
of vitality." 

"Behold a sally that astonishes me, coming from 
you," cried the Dane. " Europe when she was young 
was frolicsome ; maturity has arrived, but has not 
taken away all her charms. To-day children are born 
reasonable. The young man of nineteen has a 
drunkard's pride to drain the enormous cup to the 
bottom. More barriers on life's grand highway ! 
More toll- money ! Go where you will, paths open 
before you. More proscriptions, more laws, more 
prejudices, binding us. Fresh surprises ! Every- 
thing is possible." 

"And nothing is worth much; nothing is good," 
added Lucie. 

" Madame," cried the Italian musician, " before 
continuing your invective, deign to hear me," 

" Very willingly, monsieur," 



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AQUA SOLA. 75 

" Will you then be seated ? My companion and I 
are children of two parts of Italy which have not yet 
united with their common mother. We seek a little 
relaxation after a long servitude. Very well. We 
cannot take a step without being persecuted by 
politics, political economy, or philosophy. Have pity 
on us, and speak of other things." 

"Spoiled child of Italy," said the Dane, "your 
prayer cannot be granted. Our age takes her nour- 
ishment where it is found. It is useless to try to 
hinder me." 

" Cannot we discuss music? " 

" Music ! She has followed the general route, and 
the music of the future, with her prophet, Wagner, is 
political music." 

" Granted. And the other arts? " 

"They cannot be separated from philosophy and 
history." 

" Then let us speak of frivolities, of the times, of 
the weather, of the city we are visiting ; remember I 
am young, and an artist." 

" There are no more young hearts," said Jacob. 

" What remains then for those who thirst for life? " 

" Nothing," replied the Dane quickly, in a serious 
tone ; " only to drink." 

"And afterward?" 

" Afterward ? That depends on the temperament ; 
to sleep or" — 

During this conversation, the evening breeze brought 
from a neighbouring house the sound of sweet music, 



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y6 THE JEW, 

now gay, now sad. They all listened. It was not 
Italian music. A young and sympathetic voice sang, 
accompanied by the piano. The song was of pro- 
found sadness, rendered with good expression and 
method. 

The Italian instantly recognized an inspiration of 
Mendelssohn. He took off his hat, and listened with 
an expression of pleasure. He took a few steps, and, 
with a sign, demanded silence. 

In contrast to the light songs of Italy, full of 
harmony, this song was full of grave majesty. For 
the Italian who had not heard much German music it 
was a revelation. 

The mysterious chords, coming from an unknown 
window, from an invisible mouth, had a fascinating 
charm and a melodious sadness, which made a lively 
impression. The woman's voice came from a house 
near the Academy of Medicine, and was carried to our 
hearers by the indiscreet breeze. 

"It is fine," said the Dane, "but it is somewhat 
like the music of the future." 

" Be silent, then, monsieur," said Lucie severely. 
" It is wonderful." 

At that moment the song gradually grew fainter, and 
finally died away. The accompaniment ceased also 
with a few majestic chords. 

They all drew near the house whence came the 
melody, and in the general preoccupation no one ob- 
served that Jacob grew pale, and seemed to recognize 
the voice. He pressed his hand against his side as if 



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AQi/A SOLA. 77 

in pain. His emotion was almost terrifying, and his 
features had changed so as to be hardly recognizable. 

Ivas perceived his friend's emotion. 

" What is the matter? " asked he anxiously. " Has 
the music impressed you thus ? " 

The Jew, distrait and silent, thanked him for his 
solicitude, and motioned for him to be silent. 

" Listen ; perhaps she will sing again," said Lucie. 

They were silent, but in vain. 

After long waiting the door opened, and there came 
out of the house a young and elegant woman ac- 
companied by a distinguished-looking man, whose 
features were of the Oriental type. 

They attracted at once the attention of the prome- 
naders. The woman was about twenty years old ; her 
features were delicate. She was a pale brunette, 
with black eyes full of languor, and she bore on her 
face an expression so noble and so sad that one 
thought she was an angel of death. Her calmness 
apparently covered some bitter chagrin and a profound 
melancholy. Her dress was sombre and bore out 
the grave character of her features, maintaining with- 
out heightening her beauty. 

Her companion, in spite of his elegant appearance 
and gentlemanlike bearing, had, on close inspection, 
something pretentious about him. He played with 
too much affectation the role of fine gentleman to be 
real. In every lime of his face could be seen pride 
and vanity, without human sentiment. His mobile 
eyes, his sensual lips, his strong physique, betokened 
exuberant passions. 

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78 THE JEW.' 

Everything about him disclosed instincts, but not 
heart. In spite of his politeness, this man, cold, 
distingue at first, inspired a certain terror. One easily 
divined that in his heart there was no pity, and that 
he had made of his egotism a systematic rule of con- 
duct from which nothing could make him deviate. 
A beggar meeting him alone would never dare to 
ask alms. He would hazard it only before witnesses. 
In spite of his courteous manner toward the lady, 
who was evidently his wife, there appeared to be a 
sort of weariness and constraint between them. He 
seemed to drag her along with him like a victim. 
Without looking around her, she walked (if I may say 
so) automatically, while her husband did not even try 
to conceal his indifference.* 

Our group knew immediately that this was the mys- 
terious singer. Jacob, absorbed in himself, did not 
perceive that he was in their path ; his haggard eyes 
were fixed on the woman, who had not yet noticed 
him. The husband did not see Jacob either, until 
he was near him. Then he frowned and bit his lips ; 
but this expression was followed by a forced smile 
and a polite bow. The woman mechanically raised 
her head, recoiled, and gave a cry of surprise. Her 
voice recalled Jacob to himself. He took off his hat 
and bowed, standing aside to let them pass. 

"What an astonishing meeting ! " said the stranger, 
giving his hand without cordiality. . 

The woman had become calm, and added, with a 
sad smile, in a trembling voice ; " It is true ; the 
meeting is unexpected ! " 

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AQl/A SOLA, jg 

"Very unexpected, and very happy for me," re- 
plied Jacob with emotion. "After a long absence, 
I am about to return to Poland. I desired to visit a 
part of Italy which has been so extolled. Chance 
has kept me in Genoa with other travellers. Your 
divine voice fixed us imder your windows, for there 
is not another like it in the world." 

The husband listened with indifference to this com- 
pliment. The wife blushed, and did not reply. 

" But what are you doing at Genoa? " said Jacob. 

"We go here and there," replied the husband. 
"Dr. Lebrun has prescribed a warm climate for 
Mathilde, for she has an obstinate little cough. That 
is why we are here in this bracing atmosphere," 

" And how do you like Italy?" 

" She impresses me," ^id the woman, " as a mirage 
of that Orient which I have never seen, and for which 
I long and dream as for one's native land. Italy is 
very beautiful ! " 

During this conversation the Jew noticed that he 
was the object of his companions' curiosity. He 
hesitated to make his adieux, and separate himself 
from them. The husband, always polite, relieved 
him from this embarrassment. 

"Will you not come with us?" asked he, politely. 

" Willingly, but permit me to take leave of my com- 
panions." 

He called Ivas and charged him to make his excuses 
to the company, at the same time begging him to wait 
for him ; then went away with his acquaintances. 



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So THE JEW. 

" Ah ! '* cried the Italian on learning from Ivas 
that he had been requested to wait for his friend, " I 
also am willing to wait a long time to find out who 
this lady is. I am anxious to hear this marvellous 
singer again. Where are you staying ? " said she to the 
Pole. 

"At the Hotel Feder." 

"That is fortunate. You are very near me. I am 
at the Hotel de France. Wait for your companion, and 
bring him to me, willingly or by force, to drink tea. 
I will not fix the hour, for so active is my curiosity 
about this woman that I cannot sleep until I have seen 
you." 

She turned to the rest of the company. "Mes- 
sieurs," said she, " will you also accept my invitation ? " 

They all bowed their acceptance, and Lucie took 
the Russian's arm, with whom she departed, chatting 
vivaciously. 

Ivas remained with the Italians. The Dane and the 
Tsigane went away together. 

" I perceive," said Lucie to her cavalier, " that this 
unexpected meeting betokens a mysterious romance. 
Did you see how he looked at her ? Did you hear the 
cry she gave? The husband and the lover, that is 
certain. How I wish I knew their history ! Will he 
consent to tell us ? Provided he comes, I know well 
how to lead him on." 

" Why should their story interest us? " 

" Because it will be more curious than the books 
you read. I love reality better than fiction." 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE. 8l 



CHAPTER V. 

A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE. 

IvAS, abandoned, seated himself alone on a bench, 
his head bowed. The sight of the men and women 
aromid him who had leisure to occupy themselves with 
sentiments of love, and their conversation, made a sad 
impression. 

Hunger, misery, political passions, consumed him. 
He thought of his country and its future. He sought 
a remedy for his unhappiness and the sorrows of his 
countrymen. What mattered to him the sweet words 
of women, their tender glances, their whispered prom- 
ises ; women for him did not exist before the vision of 
his misery and his despair. An inexpressible sadness 
tortured him. Was he not going to risk his life in 
order to breathe his native air ? 

His melancholy thoughts were rocked by the sea 
breeze when some one clapped him on the shoulder. 
It was Jacob. 

" Let us return," said he with vivacity. 

" I am at your service, but first let me tell you that 
we are invited to take tea with the Italian lady at her 
hotel." 

" No ! I will not go ! I need solitude. Have you 
accepted?*' 



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82 THE JEW. 

" Certainly, for I do not enjoy being alone with my 
thoughts. And I believe, dear friend of forty-eight 
hours, that it will do you good to go also. We have 
not known each other long, but permit me to suggest 
that there are things that one had better bury in the 
bottom of the heart. Come, Coloni is very curious. 
If we do not go she is capable of coming after us. 
That would be worse still." 

" It is true that we are recommended to cure old 
wounds by distraction. Come, then, we will forget 
ourselves in a foolish and gay society." 

"You speak of old wounds. Then this lady" — 

" Do not speak of her. Are there not other per- 
sons, other faces and names, which awaken old mem- 
ories? You had better speak of man rather than of 
woman. This one is an unfortunate who slowly 
works out her destiny." 

" Let us go, then ! " 

" Let us go 1 I will be gay in spite of" — 

"Of what?" 

" In spite of mournful remembrances." 

They turned and walked rapidly along the dark 
streets which conducted them to the shore. Here 
were built two hotels. In the morning this part of 
the city was very busy on account of the bourse, but 
all was silent and deserted at this hour of the evening. 

They entered the Hotel de France. 

On the first floor Lucie reigned in a little salon^ 
fresh and elegant. Here they found all the rest of 
the company. Seated in the balcony, the Russian 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE, 83 

smoked in silence. It was easy to be seen that this 
impromptu tea was not pleasing to him, for he shut 
himself up in complete reserve without joining in the 
conversation. 

The Tsigane, installed comfortably on the sofa, 
looked around him with supreme indifference. The 
Dane paid special attention to his hostess, and the 
Italians were in gay spirits. When the door opened 
and Jacob appeared, Madame Coloni went hastily to 
meet him. 

^*Grazie tante ! Grazie tante ! " cried she. "You 
are so kind to have come. It is a sacrifice for which 
I thank you." 

" How can it be called a sacrifice to pass the even- 
ing in your charming society, and to have the pleasure 
of looking at you," said Jacob. 

"Unworthy flatterer!" replied she, striking him 
softly on his hand. "No more compliments. You 
mock me ! Seat yourself, sir, and tell me quickly 
who is our singer. Who is this beautiful lady with 
accents so sad that on hearing her we have tears m 
our eyes ? Why was she so agitated on seeing you ? 
Why did you grow so pale? " 

Jacob had great control over himself. He laughed 
so naturally that he deceived his fair questioner, who 
began to lose the hope of hearing a romantic history. 

" You have truly a vivid imagination ! " said he. 
"You have already composed a sad song. You 
have invested me with the sufferings of the hero of 
your romance ; but I am no hero, I assure you. The 



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84 THE JEW. 

lady is a countrywoman of mine and a co-religionist. 
She and her husband are Jews and live in Warsaw. 
Our acquaintance is then very natural. Behold the 
truth in simple prose." 

The Italian tapped her foot impatiently. "This 
truth seems a little false/' said she. " I observed you 
closely when you first met her.'* 

Jacob made an effort to smile. 

"The real truth is that I might well have been 
grieved and astonished, for I know the sad history of 
this woman." 

"Ah ! there is, then, as I thought, a sad story? " 

"Yes, but I did not figure in it." 

Lucie looked at him fixedly, but he returned her 
glance without emotion. 

" Oh ! pray, monsieur," demanded she in a caress- 
ing voice, " relate to me this story. I am dying to 
hear it." 

" I warn you, madame, that it is not remarkable, 
and as it is the story of a Jewess it will be less inter- 
esting to you than to me. I am afraid I shall weary 
you. I am a bad story-teller, long and tiresome." 

"You take a long time to tell a story ! So much 
the better, we have plenty of time to listen. But do 
not torment me. Begin." 

" Permit me, madame, to collect my thoughts for a 
moment." 

. " If," said the Dane, " the story is as long as mon- 
sieur promises us, and there is in the story a senti- 
mental woman encumbered with a beast of a husband 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE, 85 

and a noble lover, I will excuse myself from listening. 
I can guess it all in advance." 

" I also," said the Tsigane. " It is always the same 
thing." 

"^Vhere can true love be found to-day? " cried the 
Dane. 

Lucie protested against this atrocious blasphemy, 
but the Tsigane replied imperturbably : — 

" You will grant that the times of chivalrous love 
have vanished. Only the turtle-doves are innocent 
enough to sigh still. Formerly, as we are told, human- 
ity passed through a long epoch of exalted love. To- 
day men have almost abandoned these ways. A 
hundred years from now they will laugh at such love- 
stories and wonder how it could have been. I speak 
of such loves as those of Leander and Hero, not that 
of Calypso for young and handsome warriors, nor of 
the love of Nero for Poppea. That kind of love lasts 
because it is natural. But love which is torture, which 
suffers for some ideal beauty, it is an old, stereotyped 
plate, out of fashion. Show me to-day some one who 
loves in this way or who would be disposed to make 
serious sacrifices for love. The young girls marry be- 
cause the husband suits the father and mother. The 
men marry for settlements, or for charms more or less 
fascinating. They do not marry at all for love, — 
that fentasy has gone out of fashion." 

" Why," said Lucie indignantly, " you cannot main- 
tain such ridiculous assertions." 

" I can prove them by facts. Look around you. 



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86 THE JEW. 

Everywhere caprice, passion, love of excitement, etc., 
but true love nowhere." 

Lucie sighed. 

" Is this progress or decadence? '* asked she. 

" I know not. It is sad for you beautiful women 
to descend from the pedestal on which you were ele- 
vated, but how can you refuse the evidence of things ? " 

"Is it so evident?" 

" Alas ! I do not wish to impose my opinion on 
you, but reflect seriously. Where can you find as 
formerly two souls created for each other? " 

"What you say," interrupted Jacob, "is true up to 
a certain point. But I hope the world has only tem- 
porarily renounced this poetry. If all ideality should 
disappear it would be a sad thing. I will add a 
commentary to your remarks. Monsieur Gako. Men 
do not love themselves as much as they used. That 
is why existence is in some sort lessened, and the 
number of suicides from weariness of life is daily 
augmented." 

Madame Coloni clapped her hands and reminded 
Jacob of his promise to relate a history. 

The Tsigane yawned. The Russian lighted a fresh 
cigarette, the Dane went out, and when it was silent 
the Jew commenced in a low voice ; — 

" In all the legislation of the world the most badly 
understood and the most badly judged is perhaps 
that of Moses. It ]pelongs to me to defend it in my 
character of Jew. Our law is the fundamental base 
of yours. Do not forget that Jesus said that he came 
not to destroy the law, but to complete it. 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE. 



87 



" It is generally supposed that the Hebrew women 
were debased to the level of slaves. Nothing of the 
kind. Customs were sometimes swerved from the 
law, influenced as they were by the barbarity of 
the times, but it is not the law which abases woman. 

" In the Jewish language she is called Ischay the 
feminine of Isch^ which means 'man.' This name 
alone indicates the perfect equality of the sexes. 
Deuteronomy xxi. 10-15 commends us to respect 
even the captives. Polygamy, exceptionally practised 
by the kings, is forbidden in a formal manner. The 
Bible reveals to us in more than one page the dis- 
astrous effects of this immorai custom. On a level 
with man, Ischy woman, Ischay it is true, was not priest, 
but she was permitted to bear the offerings to the altar. 
No legislation of antiquity or even of later epochs can 
show us woman better treated or more respected than 
with the Jews. The mothers of the Maccabees and 
of Judith prove the importance of that r61e. 

" A young girl of twelve years, Ketannahy could be 
promised in marriage by her father, but, above that 
age, become Nairahy she could marry to please 
herself. 

" Pagan and barbarous usages, nevertheless, pene- 
trated even among us at the epoch of the Kings. The 
sexes were more strictly separated. Sometimes, for 
example, the Jews cloistered the women in a harem, 
or, if they were poor, compelled them to do manual 
labour. There rests this stain against us, contrary to 
the true spirit of the Mosaic law. 



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88 THE JEW. 

" Pardon this digression, too grave, perhaps, for a 
love idyl between a man and woman. But you will 
see later on that it was necessary." 

" I believe that your story will contain at least two 
men," said Lucie lightly. 

" It suffices me to put only one in strong relief, 
although two or three men will find a place in this 
history, this idyl, or, if you prefer, this drama. With- 
out them there could be no drama." 

" Or simply a monodrama depending on one man." 

" You have all seen this woman whose voice has so 
charmed us. She is the most unfortunate of women, 
because she is obliged to submit to a situation that is 
revolting to her. 

" Her father, a rich Jew, belongs, or rather belonged, 
to those of his race who, owing to a European edu- 
cation, have sunk into a destructive scepticism, and 
regard as an imposture all religions, including his own. 
Entering early into active life, he attributed the 
success of his career partly to luck, but above all to 
his own intelligence and energy. Outside of these 
three forces, there was for him nothing else here 
below but a poetical Utopia for the amusement of 
simpletons. 

" The mother of Mathilde was a devout Israelite, 
but she died young, and her child was left to the care 
of so-called Christians, who taught her their own 
unbelief in the ideal, and left her to form her mind 
for good or evil by reading without discernment. 
They taught her that there was neither virtue nor vice, 



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A SIMPLE HISl^ORY OF LOVE. 



89 



but skill or stupidity, calculation or improvidence, 
decency or unseemliness. So that when the maiden 
entered society she looked on men as mere ciphers or 
figures, as they appear in one of the tables of Py- 
thagoras. Such a society seemed unattractive to a 
youthful imagination which had an instinctive longing 
for the perfumes of life, and found only dead and 
withered flowers. 

" At an early age shfe was deprived of these illusions. 
She was told that men were wicked, heartless, and 
deceivers. It would not do to believe in their pro- 
testations; she must view them with contempt and 
aversion. It was a good thing to be honest, to spare 
one's self the trouble of embarrassment, and honesty 
is often the best policy. On this theory crime was 
only an awkwardness, and virtue without intrinsic worth 
unless it brought assured profits. 

" As Mathilde might marry an Israelite, a Mussul- 
man, or a Christian, she had access to the literature of 
all religious beliefs. She read the Bible, but her 
father ridiculed the most sacred passages. This 
critical raillery and the numerous books perused by 
her left her mind nothing but unbelief. 

" Add to this the practical education which 
endeavoured prematurely to tear from her all heart, 
as one pulls an aching tooth to prevent further suffer- 
ing, and you can form some idea of what they had 
done to this poor child. 

"Mathilde entered this existence like an insensible 
statue, without taste for life. She foresaw that she 



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90 THE JEW. 

would not be happy, for she well knew that there 
could be no happiness for noble souls. Her senti- 
ments did not accord with the line of conduct that had 
been drawn for her. Her aspirations were pure, but 
she was taught that self-interest should be the only 
motive of all her aspirations, and that any other course 
was a morbid weakness, and would lead to ruin. 
Although she was ignorant of many things that had 
been concealed from her, she divined them, and each 
day she rebelled against this desperate reality. Her 
widowed father lived on, following his own whims 
without regard to moral law, and without belief in 
virtue. Coveting all that was accessible to him, he 
led a selfish life, and, although he was careful to 
observe the proprieties in his house, his practices were 
visible to the eyes of his young daughter, who was con- 
vinced that true affection had no place in the hearts of 
men. Her generous nature revolted sadly against this 
paternal materialism. Any other woman under the 
influence of such an example, in such an immoral 
atmosphere, would have been corrupted. Mathilde 
felt only a profound melancholy. Nature and study 
became her consolers. Art spoke to her of the great 
sentiments toward which she had wished to raise 
herself, but had been prevented. 

" There is perhaps no torture more intense than a 
struggle like this between noble instincts and the 
animalism of the world. Mathilde in her fourteenth 
year was already as sad, as wearied, as she is to-day of 
this existence without future and without hope. Be- 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE, 91 

fore her appeared the certainty of an advantageous 
marriage which would render hei life a success in a 
worldly sense. Nothing more 1 Her father, with his 
wealth, was sure to find a young husband of good 
position, possessed of riches equal to his own. It 
was not to be supposed that he would seek for other 
qualities, and it was certain that he would not suffer 
from his daughter, whom he loved after his own 
fashion, the least remonstrance in regard to his choice. 

" While the girl was growing up in this poisonous 
moral atmosphere, in the midst of every luxury, a 
young man came to the house." 

"I have waited for him a long time with impa- 
tience," cried Lucie Coloni. " Behold, at last he is 
here ! " 

**Do not ask me to describe his character," said 
Jacob, " The heroes of true romances like this all 
resemble each other in general. They have external 
fascinations, all the virtues, all the grand and noble 
qualities, an affectionate heart and an exalted head, 
and so forth. But my hero, nevertheless, differs a 
little from the ordinary. He had some distinctive 
traits ; he had been poor, and was little accustomed to 
salons. He had drawn all the forces of his success 
and energy from the school of humihty; he was 
modest, peaceable, and little expansive, like all those 
to whom a premature sadness has proved that to ask 
sympathy provokes only raillery in this world. The 
father of Mathilde was a distant relative of this young 
man, and had taken him to his house to finish his 



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92 THE JEW. 

education, having recognized in him a certain capac- 
ity. He intended to push his fortunes owing to a 
noble sentiment of relationship which remained in his 
heart, and was almost the oaly trace of old Judaism. 
He also felt some pride in protecting a young man 
who promised to do himself honour in the world. 
This promise was only partly fulfilled, for too preco- 
cious talents do not always produce the fruits that are 
expected of them. 

"The young man, who had finished his studies and 
was preparing himself for business, lived in the house 
of his protector, who intended to send him to foreign 
parts to oversee his business. You may give to my 
hero any name you wish." 

"Call him Jacob," said Ivas. 

" No, no ! let us call him Janus, the Polish equiv- 
alent for Jonas. I do not know, madame, if it is 
hardly worth while to relate the rest to you, for it is 
easy to divine. Two orphaned souls, aspiring to the 
poetry of life, could not meet without loving. Mathilde 
found in him a nobleness which responded to her 
ideal of a man's character, and he recognized in her 
his ideal of melancholy beauty. 

" In his protector's house it was necessary to be on 
guard, lest he should suspect an inclination which 
would cause them to be separated, and should chase 
Janus from his Paradise. The young people well 
understood that they must feign indifference for fear 
of such a catastrophe. A few words exchanged in a 
room full of people, on the street, or near the piano. 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE, 



93 



some furtive glances, — behold the relations of the 
young man with Mathilde ! 

" The father had not the least idea that this unfor- 
tunate youth could dare to throw his eyes on an in- 
heritance worthy of a Rothschild. If such a thought 
had by chance entered his head, he would have put it 
away as a thing impossible. 

" The English governess, mature but romantic still, 
was very. fond of these Platonic friendships, and had 
herself even such a weakness for the young man that 
she hoped to fascinate him by the multiplicity of her 
talents. She put no restraint upon her pupil, and she 
even took it upon herself to assist them. His host, 
seeing the manoeuvres of Miss Burnet, for he had for 
these things much perspicuity, laughed in his sleeve, 
thinking it quite natural for Janus thus to commence 
his virile career, and never dreaming that it was his 
daughter to whom the youth aspired." 

Jacob paused, as if short of breath, and Lucie gave 
him some sherbet. There was a moment of silence, 
then he resumed his narrative in a weaker voice : — 

"Recall, each one of you, kind listeners, your 
youth and the earliest flower of the springtime of your 
first love. Consider that angel of candour, chained 
unhappily to the earth, this most prosaic earth, while 
her wings unfold and open to carry her to heaven. 
The youth adored her as a divinity, and she saw in 
him a celestial messenger sent to her from the ethereal 
world. That is the romance which they held in their 
hearts, and which they would not manifest visibly. 



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94 THE JEW. 

Two words sufficed to make them happy for a long 
time. A look, when they met during the day, gave 
them new strength to live. 

"The word Move' was never mentioned between 
them. The same chaste sentiment beat in unison in 
their hearts without inflaming their brains or their 
senses. For them silence even was a poem of happi- 
ness ; the smile, a joy divine ; and a flower was an 
avowal. 

''These felicities, which appeared afterward like 
child's play, and which reason turned to raillery, 
passed unperceived. 

" Neither Mathilde's father nor her governess had 
the least suspicion of anything serious. The father 
even thought that, at times, his daughter was too timid 
and too cold toward Janus, and Miss Burnet reproached 
her for the same thing. The want of theory or of 
practice, I know not which, deceived her, and she 
supposed that it was to herself that Janus aspired. 

" Alas ! this dream of the heart, this love without 
hope, vanished like a dream at the gate of Paradise. 
One morning, or rather one afternoon, the father 
ordered his daughter, with a very indifferent air, to 
dress herself with much care, as he expected a visitor. 
A short time before dinner there entered a young man, 
distinguished, well-bred, a perfect man of the world, 
and whom the father presented under the name of 
Henri Segel. 

"There are presentiments ! This black- eyed An- 
tinoiis, with a perpetual smile on his lips, with an 



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A SIMPLE HI STORY OF LOVE. 



95 



amiability so spiritual and so courteous, frightened the 
girL She felt for him a violent repulsion, a strange 
sentiment which is explained by psychology only; 
she detested him, although she had nothing with 
which to reproach him. 

** He loved music, and was himself a good musician, 
and he was said to be enormously rich. 

"Three days after, the father said quietly to his 
daughter, without asking her opinion, that Henri Segel 
was her betrothed. In announcing this he said that 
she was to be congratulated on having pleased Mon- 
sieur Segel, and that he had fallen desperately in 
love with her. All this was in a tone which did not 
permit the slightest contradiction. The thing was 
settled; she had nothing to say about it. 

" The marriage seemed to him so suitable that all 
hesitation or opposition would have appeared an un- 
pardonable childishness. She ought to consider her- 
self a very lucky girl. 

" Mathilde did not reply, but she grew frightfully 
pale. She was congratulated on all sides, while she 
suffered in her heart. Her sad glance seemed to say 
to Jacob " — 

" Pardon me," cried Ivas, " but you called him 
Janus." 

Jacob blushed, drank a glass of water, wiped his 
brow, and seemed unable to continue his story. 

" You are right," said he at last. " I was mis- 
taken." 

"Continue, monsieur, — continue, I beg of you," 
cried Lucie. 



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96 THE JEW, 

" It was," said the Jew, " a pleasant evening in 
springtime. The perfume of flowers was spread 
abroad, and on the leaves glistened drops of dew. 
Mathilde and Miss Burnet walked in the garden. 
Seated on a bench, Janus held a book which he 
did not read. The Englishwoman saw him and di- 
rected their steps toward him. Happily, or perhaps 
unfortunately, just then there came a friend of Miss 
Burnet. Chance willed that the lovers were left 
alone together. They were both glad and frightened 
at this unexpected circumstance. They walked to- 
gether for some time in silence, trembling and hardly 
breathing. The two Englishwomen had a thousand 
secrets to relate, and left them alone a long time. 
The governess had even whispered to her pupil on 
leaving, ' Go as far as you please.' 

"They strolled along in silence. She gathered 
flowers, among the leaves of which her tears mingled 
with the dew-drops. He, pensive, looked at her and 
man-like held back the tears that rose to his eyes. 
Suddenly Mathilde stopped. She raised her head 
proudly, as if she had gained a victory over herself. 
She put her hand to her side, and threw on her 
kinsman a strange look in which she gave herself to 
him for eternity. 

" * Very soon,' murmured she, ' we must separate. 
You know what awaits me. It will be sweet for me 
to recall this evening's walk. And you, will you 
remember? ' 

" She spoke to him for the first time in a sad and 



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97 



solemn voice. Her expressive words went to Janus' 
heart, and he thought he should go mad. His heart 
beat violently, his hands were clenched on his breast. 

•''Forget you, Mathilde ! ' cried he. 'Forget the 
happiness I have tasted with you ! Oh, no, never ! 
Never 1 I swear to you that I will never marry another 
woman, for I have loved you, and I love you still, as 
one loves but once in life. Why need I tell you all 
my love when you know it already ! ' 

" ' I have believed it, and I still believe it, but life 
is long and memory unfaithful. For you men, it is 
said that love is a pastime, for us it is existence. I 
have loved you, and I will never cease to love you ! ' 

" Stifled sobs interrupted her words. 

'"Love could never be a plaything to me,' said 
Janus. ' In my eyes it is the most sacred thing in life. 
It is the marriage of two souls for eternity.' 

" ' I believe it,' cried Mathilde, ' and that is why I 
love you. I feel that you are honest and sincere ; you 
know what awaits me. They have sold me to a man 
for whom I have an invincible aversion. But I will 
not suffer long, for I shall soon die. May your soul 
be the tomb where my memory will not perish ! My 
father will raise for me a monument, my husband will 
give me a fine funeral, but my grave before long will 
be covered with weeds ; may a memory of me remain, 
at least, in your heart ! ' 

"The Englishwomen were so absorbed in their 
conversation that they prolonged their farewells for 
some lime. 



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^ THE JEW. 

" ' To-day/ continued Mathilde, * I have seen you 
so sad that I have wished, under pretence of saying 
adieu, to give you some words of consolation. Who 
knows if we shall ever meet alone again ; let me then 
repeat that I love you ; that I love and will love you 
until death.' 

" ' Mathilde,' cried he, rebelling against their des- 
tiny, * if you have confidence in me, leave this house. 
Behold two arms which can procure you bread. 
Your father will forgive us, and you will be mine 
forever.' 

" ' No ! ' she answered firmly, after an instant of re- 
flection ; ' I love you like a child, but I can reason like 
a mature woman. I do not believe in a future ; for me 
the future is a lure. I should bring you, perhaps, some 
moments of happiness, but afterward I should be a 
cause of weariness and remorse. You have no right 
to show yourself so ungrateful to your protector, who 
has done much for you. Who knows whether you 
would not be disappointed in me. I am already fad- 
ing, having been poisoned from my cradle. My un- 
beUef awakens. I hear a mocking laugh vibrate in my 
ears, even when tears are in my eyes. No, no ! a hun- 
dred times no ! It will be better for you to love the 
dead, for who knows if living, you would love me long.' 

" She dismissed him with a sigh, and withdrew from 
him as if she feared that she might be persuaded. 

" After a little, she returned to Janus, who was lost 
in bitter thoughts. He had remained where she had 
left him, with bowed head and clasped hands. 



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99 



" ' What do you think of my future husband ? ' asked 
she. 

"'I detest him.' 

" ' Is it because he is to be my husband ? ' 

" ' No. He produced this impression at first sight.' 

"* And why?' 

" * I know not. He is odious to me, although I 
know nothing against him. He is rich, fashionable, 
very amiable. And with all that I cannot like him.' 

" ' I even fear,' added Mathilde, * that he has noth- 
ing human in him. He is a being which appears to 
me to be utterly without heart, a sort of automaton 
fabricated by the nineteenth century. With all his 
knowledge, I am sure that he does not know how to 
weep, nor suffer, nor to have pity or compassion on 
the sorrows of others. If he gives alms, it is for os- 
tentation or calculation ; but he will not grieve for an 
unfortunate ; he will never sympathize with him nor 
mingle his tears with his. Our epoch of iron has fash- 
ioned men worthy of herself. She has made them of 
iron, and the blood that courses in their veins is no 
longer pure, but has grown rusty.' 

" * Perhaps you are a little too severe,' said Janus. 
'However, it is the same impression that I have 
formed of him. But love and a wife often transform 
a man.' 

" * A man, yes, but not an automaton. His very 
look freezes me. This sweet smile, this perpetual 
gayety which cannot be natural, irritates me. He 
is always the same, — a being of marble. My God ! 
have pity on me ! ' 



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lOO THE JEW. 

" In saying these words she drew from her hand a 
ring and put it on one of his fingers. 

"'I bought this expressly for you. Preserve it 
in memory of her whom you have loved. It is 
black ; it is a mourning ring, the only kind appropri- 
ate to our unhappy love. After to-day any conversa- 
tion between us will be impossible, so farewell, and 
forget me not.' 

" She left him and joined her governess. 

"These were the first and last words of love that 
passed between them. They saw each other every 
day, but as strangers. They bowed to each other, but 
neither of them ever sought another interview. Here- 
after only shadows and silence would surround their 
passion. 

" Mathilde accepted, without a word, the husband 
that her father had chosen for her. The marriage 
was celebrated with great ostentation. The victim 
walked to the altar robed in satin and lace and 
covered with diamonds. 

" Her father was radiant with the joy of having so 
well established his daughter. Every one knew that 
he had given her a million for a wedding dowry, and 
that still another was promised, and that the husband 
possessed several himself, with expectations besides. 
All the mothers, all the fathers, and all the marriage- 
able young girls envied Mathilde*s luck. Behold, in 
all its simplicity, the end of my story ! 

"Two years have passed, and you have met this 
husband and wife. He is always calm and happy, she. 



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A SIMPLE HISTORY OF LOVE. loi 

sad. The only thing that ever troubles him is when 
he fails to receive in good time the reports of the 
bourse of Paris or London. To amuse him she sings, 
as you have heard, the music of Mendelssohn. Truly, 
it was hardly worth while to listen to my story. It is 
a romance which happens every day, and which has 
been related a thousand times before." 

"And Janus? " asked the lady. 

" Janus wears always the ring of his only beloved. 
He bears his sorrow, for in one hour he drained the 
dregs of despair. To-day he is only a body without 
soul." 

" The story is heart-rending above all expression," 
said Lucie, " and I admit that I expected something 
more dramatic. The victim has all my sympathy. 
As for the lover, I am not anxious about him. This 
' body without soul ' will soon be consoled." 

" I doubt it," replied Jacob. " Consolation comes 
only to those who wish to console themselves. Janus 
is resigned to a perpetual mourning of the heart." 

" No one would believe," remarked Madame Coloni, 
" that this story was of our day ; its character is so 
simple and so elegiac." 

Jacob rose ; the hour was late, and all the company 
prepared to retire. The Russian, who had remained 
silent all the evening, was the only one who did not 
hasten to depart. 

" Then, if not in Genoa, we shall meet again in 
Warsaw," said Lucie to Ivas and Jacob. 

"You are surely going there, madame?" 



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I02 THE JEW, 

" It appears that it is decided," replied she, looking 
at her companion. " The hour of departure only is 
not yet fixed. You will, perhaps, be kind enough to 
come to see me." 

Ivas and Jacob returned to the Hotel Feder. 

" I believe," said Ivas, " that I will not hear the 
rest of your biography this evening. You are already 
too fatigued with your remembrances. Good-night ! " 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA, 



103 



CHAPTER VI. 

FROM GENOA TO PISA. 

When Jacob awoke the next morning, he was 
astonished to find himself alone. He was told that 
Ivas had gone out before daybreak. He was at first 
alarmed about this matinal sortie, although he tried to 
explain it by a desire to bathe in the sea, or curiosity 
to see the city. The thought came to his mind that 
the poor boy wished to leave him, through excess of 
susceptibility, and had departed, counting on his 
restored strength. However, the sight of his little 
travelling-bag calmed his fears, and he was waiting 
calmly for breakfast when Ivas returned. 

" I went out," said he, shaking Jacob's hand, " to 
take a little walk. I need air, solitude, and movement. 
I came on foot from Marseilles, and I am accustomed 
to walking. I have no right to soften myself with 
inaction. I must fatigue myself to feel that I live." 

"You are a child," said Jacob smiling; "you dis- 
trust yourself, while so many others have too much 
confidence in themselves. You possess that which can 
vanquish all, — will Strong as you feel in yourself 
you will overcome all obstacles. I know men remark, 
able in all respects who have never accomplished 
anything for lack of will, and I know other men who 



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I04 THE JEW, 

by their energy have attained, by sheer determination, 
a position far above that which their talents merited." 

" You understand me," said Ivas, " and I fear to lose 
this will. I wished a short battle to convince me that 
I was not benumbed. I wrestled somewhat as Jacob, 
your namesake, did during his sleep, and I have 
conquered." 

" Where have you been? " 

" Almost everywhere. In the dusty highway, in 
the tumult of the port, in the deserted walks of Aqua 
Sola, and even under the windows of the beautiful 
Mathilde." 

" And what took you there ? " 

" I know not. I found myself there by chance. I 
have seen Madame Coloni, the two Italians, and the 
Tsigane. We all met there to watch the departure 
from Genoa of the marvellous sihger." 

" What, the departure ! Perhaps they only went 
out for a walk." 

" No ; if they intended to remain longer in Genoa 
they have changed their minds. The veturino told 
me that he was going to Spezia and Pisa. I do not 
think the husband would go alone, and from the bag- 
gage that I have seen I cannot tell how many travel- 
lers there are. The servant would not answer one of 
my questions." 

" Why did you question him? " 

" From curiosity." 

" Then they are gone ? " 

" Probably, but I did not wait to see them go. I 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA, 



105 



did not wish to be seen among the rabble which sur- 
rounded the carriage." 

"Well," said Jacob suddenly, "what shall we do 
now? What do you desire, — to remain here longer, 
or to proceed on our journey ? " 

"As you will; but your journey has nothing in 
common with mine. I must go as soon as I have 
rested a little. You can do as you wish." 

" Let me hear no more of this. Away with cere- 
mony ! It was agreed that we travel together. Re- 
fuse, and you will offend me. Give me your hand. 
We will go together. You can reserve your strength 
for something better." 

" But " — 

" Where do you wish to go? " 

" I should like to see Spezia and Pisa, if it is 
agreeable." 

"Why?" 

" Frankly, because Jacob wishes to go to Spezia, be- 
cause Mathilde has gone that way, because Janus and 
Jacob are one and the same person. On his uncov- 
ered breast during his sleep I have seen a mourning 
ring suspended from a black ribbon." 

" Even without that it was easy for you to pierce 
this mystery. Yes, that history is mine. Neither she 
nor I have any reason to blush. The relative who 
sent me to school was Mathilde's father." 

"Then we will go to Pisa? " 

" Yes, and I think we had better go on foot, if it is 
agreeable to you. The route is so beautiful that it 



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Io6 THE JEW. 

deserves to be taken in detail. We will consign our 
baggage to the diligence, and we will take to the 
road like two wandering artists." 

"An excellent idea. But let us depart before 
evening. I am anxious to get to my country. My 
homesickness becomes each day more violent. I 
foresee great events ; impatience consumes me." 

" Confess ! You are a conspirator?" 

" How could I be anything else ? All Poland has 
conspired for two hundred years. Oppression drives 
us to it; generations of martyrs have excited us. 
Where life cannot expand in liberty, conspiracy is 
inevitable. It is the natural result of despotism." 

"I understand you. Unhappily, however, for a 
country which is in such a situation, its inhabitants 
have lost confidence in themselves, and recognize 
their own weakness. I can only comprehend a con- 
spiracy like ours, which has lasted two thousand years 
and which has led us to a regeneration. It has ag- 
glomerated our forces in a solid and vigorous union. 
Your conspiracies have something feverish about them 
that can end only in morbid decadence." 

" Do not say so, I beg of you ! You have not the 
same love for Poland as we, and you have not passed 
through such martyrdom." 

" Excuse me for contradicting you. The country 
that has sheltered us, where in spite of continual per- 
secutions we have increased by labour, has become for 
us a second country that we have chosen. You will 
think as I do some day before long. I feel myself at 
the same time Israelite and Pole," 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA. 



107 



" Men like you are rare," said Ivas. " I say it with- 
out flattery. In general, your race is credited with 
little affection for the country which has been a safe- 
guard against other persecutors, and has recognized 
you as her children. " 

" Softly ! Review history without partiality. Relig- 
ious fanaticism and the arrogance of the nobility have 
long been* an obstacle to the admission of Jews as cit- 
izens. The fault is also with the Jews, who have not 
tried to adopt the language and the customs of the 
country. They have isolated themselves, made a state 
within a state, a nation within a nation, and have not 
laboured sincerely to obtain that naturalization which 
is obtained only by common bloodshed and devotion. 
The fault is on both sides ; both sides also ought to 
ask pardon and forget the past. Our age is different 
from others. Civilization spreads ever)where. Hu- 
mane ideas are general; everything to-day tends to 
bring us together and unite us. We tender you the 
hand, do not repulse us ! " 

" What ! can our younger generation be capable of 
repulsing you? There will be for a long while yet 
prejudices and repugnances, and evil predictions, but 
the majority of the people accept frankly your hand. 
Be then our brothers, but he is in spirit as well as in 
words, in action as in appearance. Be our brothers, 
not in the time of prosperity only, but in times of 
trouble and conflict." 

Jacob pressed his companion's hand. 

"Enough for to-day," said he. "We shall agree 



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lo8 THE JEW, 

very well together, we young men. The youth of Is- 
rael think as I do. However, with us, as with you, 
there will be prejudices, old hatreds, secular distinc- 
tions; we must not let ourselves be influenced by 
these remembrances of the past. Love only can 
appease and unite us as one. Let us endeavour to 
love each other. We shall have occasion to resume 
this subject ; let us now prepare to go. Shall it be on 
foot or in a carriage? " 

" On foot, by all means." 

That afternoon, dressed as pedestrians, they went 
to say farewell to Lucie Coloni. They found her in 
the midst of preparations for departure, in the midst 
of bags and trunks. The Russian was arranging the 
books and papers. The lady was finishing paying 
bills. 

Jacob and Ivas were going to leave, fearing to in- 
commode them, when Lucie looked up and saw Ivas. 

" Ah, you are there ! We are just going. Be sure 
to come to Warsaw, and do not forget what I asked you. 
Let me hear from you ; I shall be anxious to see yqu. 
To-day I cannot talk longer. Do not forget Lucie 
Coloni. At the theatre you will find my address." 

The young Pole looked at her with astonishment. 

" You go with Gromof ? " asked he. 

"Yes. He is an old friend. I do not know that 
he will accompany me all the way. That depends. 
There is nothing certain. I will remind you that you 
can be very useful to me. May that be a reason for 
our meeting again. " 



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\ 



FROM GENOA TO PISA, 109 

'* But how can I be useful to you ? " 

" Do not ask me now, I pray you. That is my 
business. Aurevoirl Addio I Addio!^^ 

When they came down the steps which led to the 
narrow place that separated the two hotels, they 
almost ran against the Tsigane who stood gaping in 
the air, smoking his cigar, and gravely watching the 
asses transporting their enormous loads to the wharf. 

" Where are you two bound ? " asked he. 

" We leave to-day, on foot." 

« On foot ? " 

*' Yes." 

" How ridiculous, when you can travel so much 
more comfortably ! It is good, however, to have 
whims. As for me I am no longer capable of them. 
Still, if I could have for a companion the charming 
Italian I might decide to go on foot with her. The 
Russian monopolizes her." 

" I fear so ! " cried the Dane, suddenly appearing. 
"She has made an execrable choice. They have 
gone together; I have seen them off. Where are 
they going?" 

"We know not. Perhaps toward the south." 

" It is the cheapest way," replied the Dane, " and 
perhaps that is why the Russian will take it. One 
hardly needs food when they have swallowed the dust 
on the way. That is why I have decided to go by 
water. I love to travel that way much better than by 
land. I came to say good-by to la belle Coloni. I 
hoped to cut out the Russian, and I still have hopes 



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no THE JEW. 

that when I meet her again she may be tired of him. 
In order to gain a victory one must try." 

" He calls that a victory ; droll idea ! " said the 
Tsigane. " He ignores the fact that in Italy one can 
obtain as many Lucie Colonis as he wishes for travel- 
ling companions." 

" I do not believe," said Ivas, " that there are many 
persons as good and as spirituelU as this Lucie." 

" I forgot that she came to your assistance at the 
Grotto. That is nothing. It only proves that she 
has a good heart. Any other woman would have 
screamed, and profited by the occasion to swoon 
gracefully. But I do not see the necessity of spirit 
in women. What use is it to them ? To bite ? They 
have their teeth for that." 

Then addressing Jacob, the Tsigane continued : 
" Will you accept me as a companion ? I ask it as a 
favour." 

The two men questioned each other with their eyes. 
Gako perceived it, and said haughtily : " I withdraw 
my request. Stamlo is too old and too tiresome. 
Then the heat, the dust, render the diligence prefer- 
able. Adieu ! " 

He took leave of them and quickly disappeared. 

"That is much better," said the Jew. " We should 
have had a tiresome companion." 

The sun was sinking into the sea when the two 
comrades left their hotel and set out fof Spezia. The 
suburbs of Genoa were marvellously beautiful. There 
were cypress and orange groves, and vineyards ; flowers 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA. m 

bloomed on every side, and birds sang in the branches 
overhead. Soon their pathway led along the border 
of the sea ; at each moment the scene changed like a 
panorama. In springtime or in autumn this route is 
overrun by swarms of tourists who pass by with such 
rapidity that they retain only a vague impression of its 
beauty. Less numerous are the travellers who know 
how to travel slowly, and make frequent halts to drink 
in the beauty of the country. 

Our friends were of the number who hasten slowly. 
They were in no way troubled about their arrival at 
Spezia ; they were sure to find a lodging somewhere, 
for it was not difficult. A rustic chamber, some fish 
salad and cheese, some wine of the district, more or 
less palatable, that was to be found everywhere ; and 
for lights they could have primitive little lamps, the 
rays from which are agreeable enough, but too feeble 
to permit one to read and write easily. Civilization 
in Italy has introduced wax candles only in the large 
cities. 

Before they were fatigued, Jacob and Ivas procured 
asses, whose easy gait permits one to sleep if one 
wishes. These useful animals are accustomed to carry 
men as well as the most fragile objects. 

The day had given place to twilight when they came 
to the orange groves of Nervi, with the flowers of 
which is made a water for spasms, celebrated the world 
over. 

Until then the friends had spoken on many subjects. 
"You promised me to finish your biography,*' at last 



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112 THE JEW, 

said Ivas. '' You have disarranged a little the chrono- 
logical order by your love episode, but it will not be 
difficult to reestablish and complete your recital." 

''With pleasure. I have concealed nothing, and 
yesterday I was obliged to reveal the most secret part 
of my life. I believe we left off where I entered 
school. Persecuted by my comrades, I learned there 
to know Ufe as well as grammar. There were no 
notable events during that period. It opened to me, 
however, the doors of science, which I embraced to 
a surprising extent. Until then I had read only the 
Bible, which comprised or me the entire world. Since 
then I have been intereoted not only in the develop- 
ment of a single people, but of humanity. My exclu- 
sive faith in the chosen people was shaken by these 
studies. They appeared to me under a different light. 
My faith was troubled and my mind made more inde- 
pendent. Finally, I returned to the Bible more a Jew 
than ever, but of a different kind. Perhaps it is diffi- 
cult for you to comprehend my Judaism. I will try, 
then, to explain to you how our society, strongly 
united by the remembrance of former persecutions, 
is to-day divided into several divergent factions. 

"The Jew is no longer what he was when his 
absolute separation forced him to be himself, — to 
live, to reflect, and to instruct, within the narrow 
circle which hostile Christianity had traced for him. 
From time to time this circle sent out a Maimonides 
or a Spinosa, but it was largely composed of a com- 
pact body of strict and faithful believers. We grouped 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA. 



"3 



ourselves around the Ark of the Covenant. To-day 
the Jews are more liberal, less restrained, '^r ' -valk in 
different paths. Man * rej»'C* ♦he ancic :. • .. and 
accept in appearance an«. . -'jligion, in 

reality, they have none. . ly pi cor, the i*.... of 
Mathilde, was one of this type. Educated by strangers, 
in the midst of indifferent men, he lost, at an early age, 
all respect for our traditions. Liberated from all 
ceremonious restraint, he was not a Christian, but had 
arrived at a stand-point, as you already know, where 
he reduced morality to calculation, and had taken 
reason for his guide. 

" Man is only the most perfect animal. Above him 
exist other worlds, other beings, other conceptions ; 
besides the body, there is a soul, which unites itself to 
the divinity, and can soar higher than the earth or 
stars. Materialism and atheism satisfy neither society 
nor individual. Their adepts are like flowers torn 
from their stalks: they wither rapidly. Take away 
God and the soul, and what would be the result with 
our refined civilization ? An age such as ours, which 
subjugates the elements, pierces the mysteries of nat- 
ure, but knows not how to distinguish good from evil. 
It is an age which worships only force, and where are 
heard in prolonged echoes the va victis. There is 
nothing more sad than to see men who have over- 
thrown tradition, and who have no other hope or aim 
but material prosperity. 

" They are only too numerous in your commun- 
ion as well as ours. The Christian who has ceased 



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114 ^^^ y^^' 

to be a Christian, the Jew who rejects Moses, have 
for a horizon only an earthly life consecrated to the 
satisfaction of their passions. Even when they ap- 
pear to be happy, they are at heart miserable. 
They end in apathy or insanity. Man finds in 
Mosaism an intellectual nourishment sufficient for 
his reason. 

" In order to decry the faith of Moses, which is the 
basis of Christianity, it is unjust to take advantage 
of certain singularities in the Talmud which are al- 
most always falsely ridiculed. Even in the Talmud 
one finds a poetry of which any literature might be 
proud." 

" I know nothing of this poetry," said Ivas. 

"You have, however, read quotations from the 
Talmud chosen in such a way as to cast ridicule upon 
it." 

" No ; I know almost nothing of it." 

" Are you curious to have some idea of it ? Would 
you like to know the Paradise or the Hell after the 
rabbinical conceptions ? ' ' 

" From preference the Hell, for human imagination 
is more apt to represent the tortures of the damned 
than the delights of the elect. Dante's Heaven is 
very inferior to his Hell. Probably it is the same 
thing with the Talmud." 

"I do not know. The description of the abode 
of the blessed in the Book Jalkut (7. A.) is full of 
splendour." 

" As for Hell in the book, Nischmas Khaim, it is sep- 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA, 



115 



arated from Paradise by a very thin wall, symbol of the 
narrow bounds which often separate vice and virtue. 
The river which rushes through the Hell is boiling, 
whilst that which flows through Paradise is of an agree- 
able freshness. Three routes lead to it : by the sea, 
by the desert, and by a city of the world. Five kinds 
of fire burn continually in Hell, of which the extent is 
sixty times greater than that of the earth. It is gov- 
erned by three chiefs. The most important of this 
triumvirate is called Dumah. This Dumah has three 
prime ministers, — Ghinghums, Taschurinia, and Saz- 
saris. The palace of this demon is situated in that 
part of Hell called Bor. 

" Hell is full of scorpions and serpents, and is di- 
vided into several departments. The deepest and the 
most frightful serves as a sewer for the filth of the other 
hells, and for the poison of the old serpent that se- 
duced Eve. 

" The Talmud is varied. It contains dialogues, con- 
troversies, dissertations, allegories, and moral tales. It 
is a collection of the writings of several ages, through 
which one can follow the variations in the Hebrew 
language. They have tried to establish in this con- 
fusion a certain order. Maimonides, among others, 
has tried it ; but his book on this subject, although 
very much esteemed, has not been accepted by all, 

*' In opposition to the unbelieving Jews like Ma- 
thilde's father, there are Jews who adhere blindly to 
the Talmud, and put several rabbis on a level with 
Moses. Others, like myself, put their faith in the Old 



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Il6 ^ THE JEW. 

Testament, and are content to respect the traditions 
related in the Talmud. At first by early Jewish edu- 
cation, afterward by my European education, I became 
an Israelite of a special kind. The Talmud, from 
which I sought to draw lessons of wisdom, had not 
made me superstitious. At the bottom of my heart 
I guard as a most precious treasure my religious 
belief. I do not repel the light of reason nor the law 
of progress, a negation which would, in a way, sepa- 
rate me from actual humanity. My faith and my rea- 
son agree perfectly. 

" When I was called to Warsaw by my kinsman, I 
had not the least idea of the true situation of my co- 
religionists. In the provinces I had met many kinds 
of Jews. Some were so faithful to their belief that 
they dared not depart from the most useless and inex- 
plicable rules. Others, our brothers by blood, were 
no more ours in customs and spirit. 

" I approached the capital of the kingdom with 
lively emotions, anxious for the future, and ignorant 
of the world I was about to enter. 

" The provincial Jews live and have lived entirely 
separated from the Christians. Here I met them for 
the first time mixed and confounded, if not by law, at 
least by habit, with the population. At first I could 
hardly comprehend the thing. I met Jews who 
sought to conceal their origin, visible as it was on 
their Semitic brows, among whom some were believ- 
ers, others complete sceptics. Our race, by wealth, ed- 
ucation, and acquired importance, were in position to 



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FROM GENOA TO PISA. 



117 



court and obtain political and civil equality. The old 
Polish nobles, imbued with bygone prejudices, saw 
with alarm this imminent fusion, and endeavoured to 
prevent or to retard it, considering always the children 
of Israel as strangers and intruders. On both sides 
hatred has been kindled, and the position is false in 
both camps. Those whom daily business brought 
together, whom necessity united, who had mutual 
interests, remained like armed foes divided by re- 
membrances, prejudices, and fanaticism. 

"However, victory for us is certain. Justice and 
the spirit of the times render it inevitable; but I 
digress, as usual. 

" Mathilde's fether, feeling sure of his pupil, intro- 
duced me into society. I had other kindred in 
the capital, and before long I had made many 
acquaintances. 

" I was much chagrined by the sentiment of the 
greater part of my compatriots, a sentiment incom- 
prehensible to me, — of shame at being Jews. In the 
houses of the wealthy there was not the slightest ves- 
tige of the faith and traditions of our fathers. The 
ancient customs had disappeared, the religious cere- 
monies were not observed. They concealed them- 
selves to celebrate the Sabbath. 

" I would like to describe some types of the com- 
munity difficult to characterize in general, but it would 
take too long. 

" We made evident progress ; still we were in some 
sort dispersed and enfeebled, and what is worse, the 



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II 8 THE JEW, 

country was indifferent to us. If we displayed any 
patriotic sentiments, they were rather affected than 
sincere. It was rather from pride than from duty. 
We had almost ceased to be Jews, and we knew not 
how to become Poles. We started, as it were, on a 
voyage without compass. Unhappy situation ! ** 

Jacob sighed and ceased speaking. The darkness 
obliged them to halt at an inn near by. It was a 
small brick house built on a hill near the sea- shore. 
The sign bore the name, Albergo di Tre Corone. 

Near the door, whence streamed the cheerful light 
from a crackling wood-fire, they saw a cart with two 
horses surrounded by men clad like sailors with their 
jackets thrown over their shoulders. A woman hold- 
ing an infant to her breast was seated against the 
wall. Around the house were vineyards, aloe and fig 
trees, the whole scene being thrown out in strong re- 
lief by the glimmering firelight. 

Our travellers relieved themselves of their bags, 
ordered supper, and in the interval of waiting went 
down near the sea, and, seating themselves on a rock, 
listened to the ebb and flow of its murmuring waters. 
Near them under the stunted bushes flew innumerable 
fireflies, seeming in the obscurity to be little sparkling 
stars. They rested mute, in the silence of the even- 
ing, the prayer of the tired earth. 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. n^ 



CHAPTER VII. 

VOYAGE ON FOOT. 

Our companions were awakened early next morn- 
ing by the coming and going of travellers at the inn, 
a noise which was only dominated by the braying 
of asses. Jacob and Ivas resolved to depart imme- 
diately, and, profiting by the freshness of the morning, 
to make up the time they had lost the previous even- 
ing. Short stages, such as that of the day before, 
threatened if continued to render their journey inter- 
minable ; but their excuse was that their route lay 
through an enchanting country where the beauties of 
the landscape made them forget the flight of the days. 

They walked for some time without exchanging a 
single word. Both were absorbed in thought. Finally 
Ivas broke a silence which weighed equally on his 
companion. 

"Well," said he, "have you finished your history? 
I have your life in general, but it lacks many details. 
You ought to have something more to tell me." 

" It would be as easy," replied Jacob, " to finish my 
recital in two words, as to continue it for two years, 
without even then exhausting the subject. However, 
if you desire it, we will take it up where we left off. 

" My kinsman observed me attentively. My reflec- 



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I20 THE JEW. 

tions often astonished and displeased him. He found 
me too much of a Jew, and when on Saturday I an- 
nounced to him that I wished to go to the synagogue, 
it was with surprise that he replied : — 

a t Why? Do you wish to remain faithful to obsolete 
prejudices ? ' 

" * Yes. I wish to remain a Jew.' 

" ' Do as you will,' said he, ' but know beforehand 
that the point in question is to be a man. After that, 
complete liberty in religious matters.' 

" After this interview he looked on me as an indi- 
vidual on whom he could count only up to a certain 
point. 

" One day he spoke to me of a person who, as he 
said, shared my convictions. He was an old man 
named Louis Mann, whom I knew by sight, and who 
passed for one of the deep thinkers of the city. 

" The next day I went to pay my respects to him 
at an hour when I was almost certain to find him at 
home. He lived with his wife and three daughters in 
the first floor of a fine mansion. His apartments 
were richly furnished, and his son lived in a separate 
house near by. 

" When I rang the bell a servant showed me into a 
little reception-room. A half-open door permitted 
me to look into the salon, and see a brilliant company 
of ladies and elegant cavaliers. I waited a long quar- 
ter of an hour. Mann then came in to see me ; he 
did not deign to introduce me to his family or guests. 
I was received politely, bui not as an equal. He 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT, 121 

made me understand that he did me an honour by 
receiving a homage which was due to him as a co-re- 
ligionist, but that he had no desire to have any social 
relations with me. 

" My position was embarrassing enough. On one 
side ladies dressed in the latest fashion surrounded the 
mistress of the house, who was clad in a magnificent 
robe of embroidered satin. I had not even been 
asked to sit down, as Monsieur Mann evidently dis- 
dained my unfashionable clothes. His pride did not 
hurt me ; in spite of my poverty I had a most pro- 
found sentiment of self-respect, and it made me feel 
for this person puffed up with his own importance 
more pity than resentment. 

" He began to give me advice, mentioning the 
names of many rich Israehtes and dignitaries of the 
highest places, happy to let me see that he had inti- 
mate relations with these distinguished men. What 
did it matter? Wishing to dazzle me, he laid bare 
his littleness, and I remember perfectly the glitter of 
three decorations that ornamented his morning coat. 

" ' Young man,* said he in a solemn voice, ' I am 
rejoiced that your most worthy kinsman has tendered 
you a helping hand. By your assiduity and labour 
try to recompense him and render yourself useful to 
our race. We are all disposed to assist you, but you 
must make yourself worthy of us.' 

" Still speaking, he looked at the door without even 
condescending to turn his head toward me. As he 
finished speaking there entered a lovely young girl 



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123 THE JEW. 

who scanned me with half-closed eyes, then ap- 
proached her father, put her arm around his neck and 
whispered something in his ear without granting me 
the least recognition. 

"That was enough. There was nothing for me to 
do but retire as soon as possible. Mann, not think- 
ing of detaining me, dismissed me coldly and entered 
the salon, 

" I learned later on that he had done many benevo- 
lent actions, but, right or wrong, I have always attrib- 
uted them to his extreme vanity. I ought to be 
grateful that in difficulties he has always put himself 
forward as the protector of the Jews. Far from being 
ashamed of his origin, he proclaimed it aloud and 
gloried in it. It was, perhaps, because he wished to 
pass as the representative of his people and be cele- 
brated. Many times even he has agitated the subject 
in a perfectly useless and stupid manner. 

" Mann was apparently a chief, but his followers 
were composed of a phalanx of adroit advisers who 
knew well how to accustom him to adopt their ideas 
as his own. 

" His house was always open to visitors who con- 
sidered him, or pretended to consider him, as the 
influential leader of the Jewish population of the city. 
Never did an exterior so well correspond to the 
character of a man. Short and corpulent, with broad 
shoulders, he had the air of carrying the world on his 
back, a crushing weight for others, but insignificant 
for a person of his calibre. In private life he played 
willingly enough the role of querulous benefactor. 

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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 



123 



"In other respects an honest man, his Jewish 
orthodoxy, although lacking sincerity, was, at least, a 
satisfaction to his pompous vanity. Under a mask of 
religion he equalled my kinsman in scepticism. They 
both had one real sentiment, — hatred for the nobility ; 
and as I did not look on things as they did, they 
seemed to me extremely unjust. They concealed this 
enmity as much as possible ; they lived on good terms 
with many of the nobles, and even made them great 
demonstrations of friendship. It was a comedy on 
both sides. 

"Would you know the Jews in their worst light, 
then ask a Polish noble. Would you learn the vices 
and follies of the nobility, question a Jew. 

"The populous city was a large field of study for a 
curious observer like myself. I sought to learn the 
inmost character of the people of Israel. My at- 
tachment to them dated from infancy, and for a long 
while I hoped to consecrate my life to the amelioration 
of my race. Still weak, unknown, without influence 
and without knowledge, I could hardly believe myself 
equal to the role to which I aspired ; but an interior 
voice encouraged me. I dreamed of regenerating 
the Polish Israelites. But in this dream I did not be- 
lieve that the reform would commence in the higher 
classes. These were they who above all were an ob- 
stacle to my mission, through systematic indifference, 
always a thing more difficult to overcome than the 
most inveterate prejudice. 

" The question being more complex than I had at 



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124 ^'^^ y^^' 

first supposed, I found it necessary to acquire a more 
solid instruction in order to combat it. I consecrated 
anew all my leisure to reading the Bible and its com- 
mentaries. At the outset my sojourn at Warsaw was 
sustained by sweet illusions, and my daily meetings in 
the city were very profitable to my intelligence. Con- 
versations with this one and that one showed me the 
urgency of a reform to purify the Talmud and affirm 
the Bible and its teachings. The enterprise promised 
to be no less successful with mocking sceptics like my 
cousin, than with sincere fanatics whose sins were only 
excess of credulity. 

"I really do not know how the idea of such a 
gigantic project originated in my mind. Humblest of 
men, I only know that I had a confidence in myself 
which increased with difficulties. In place of discour- 
aging me, obstacles only enlarged the circle of my 
activity. I was in no haste to set to work. I wished 
above all to discover the ground and the weak point 
of my adversaries. That which frightened me, with- 
out making me renounce my project, was the great 
number of atheists among the Israelites. 

" Mann and my cousin were not the only leaders of 
unbelief. Always and everywhere in the ruling class 
I met counterparts of these two men. The lower 
class offered me some consolation. Among them, 
though belief might be extinguished, religious customs 
still existed. There was often an abyss between true 
religion and its practice whose corruption was great, 
but at times there appeared an instance of virtue, 
radiant and pure. 

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VOYAGE ON FOOT, 135 

"Everything assured me that my idea of reform 
i¥as a just one, and that the propitious hour was not 
far oif when I should become the instrument of God 
for the advancement of the people of Israel." 

Jacob arose from his seat on the rock as he spoke, 
and his face shone with a superb and devout inspira- 
tion. 

" And the streets of Warsaw did not make you lose 
your illusions?" asked Ivas smiling. 

" Not at all. The thought that I carried from my 
distant province I preserved in the Polish capital. I 
have published it in my journeys, and I will take it 
back to Poland. The thought is my life ! " 

" Alas ! " cried Ivas, " you come too late. The 
days of the prophets and the lawgivers are past. 
Proselytism is not possible in an epoch where each 
individual feels himself as capable as his neighbour -of 
reasoning, of reforming, and of advancing by following 
his own impulses. No one will permit himself in 
these days to be led by the hand like a child." 

" You are mistaken. Prophets are of all times, and, 
as general education is perfected, a guide is necessary 
to indicate the end to be obtained, and to conduct 
the masses by the power of superior virtue." 

" Have you, then„ the hope of raising yourself to 
that position ? " 

" I know not. But the sentiment of this mission 
would not have taken such root in my soul if it came 
not from God. If I think to shrink from the task, a 
superior power orders me to advance." 



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126 THE JEW, 

" Poor dreamer ! " thought Ivas. 

" The burden is heavy," Jacob continued ; " I do 
not ignore that. My personal worth has nothing to 
do with the thing. My object is so sublime that it 
awes me. But," said he suddenly, " you do not ap- 
pear to comprehend me." 

" No matter, I admire you ! " replied the young Pole, 
shaking his companion's hand warmly. "I know 
very little of the Israelites, but I sympathize with them. 
Your race resembles ours. An ingenious Muscovite 
teacher, in one of his manuals for the schools where 
history is learned by questions and answers, has put 
the following question : * Which are the nations with- 
out a country?' The official reply is: 'The Jews, 
the Gypsies, and the Poles.' I have never forgotten 
that wicked irony of a Russian teacher. Between you 
and me there is a likeness^ and at the same time an 
unlikeness. Your oppression dates back to ages 
whose very antiquity is in one way an excuse for bar- 
barism, while ours dates from an age that has taken 
for its device * Fraternity, equality, and liberty ! ' 
Compared with other people in this nineteenth cen- 
tury, except, perhaps, the Irish, our destiny is a fright- 
ful anachronism. But to return to the Jews." 

"You know me much better now," continued 
Jacob slowly. "You see before you a fanatic, an 
original, an eccentric, a man who believes, who hopes, 
who has a determined aim in life. I have undertaken 
my journey only to prepare myself better for the exe- 
cution of my project. I am more convinced than 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT, 



127 



ever of the necessity of the task which I have as- 
sumed. I have seen the Jews in almost every land. 
Everywhere I have found in them the two maladies 
which poison my co-religionists in Poland, — indiffer- 
ence or unbelief, which renders us cosmopolites; 
fanaticism, or ignorance, which puts on us the ban of 
humanity. These two dangerous elements threaten 
to extend. Israel will disappear from the surface of 
the earth, like all nations who repudiate their glorious 
past, like nations detached from the maternal breast 
of humanity, which live an exclusive life exhausting 
and extinguishing themselves. Israel has great need 
of regeneration." 

"And you expect to be the regenerator? " 

" I count only on indicating the work. What reason 
should hinder me from putting my hand to the task 
for which I have prepared myself with assiduity and 
perseverance. The will is an immense force. 

" After my visit to Mann, my cousin asked me what 
impression I had formed of this man whom he knew 
better than I. He sought, no doubt, by this question 
to better understand my humble self. 

" ' I found him,* replied I, ' so occupied that it was 
a trouble to receive me.' 

" ' Did he not receive you well ? ' 

"*Yes. But' — 

" ' Bah ! You must not attach importance to his 
reception. He is a boor whose grossness is only 
partly concealed. At heart he is an honest and ex- 
cellent man.' 



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128 THE yEW. 

" We arose from the table, the ladies passed into 
the saloHy and my cousin led me to his study, where 
he drew from me a detailed report of my visit. 

" ' I am young,' added I in finishing, * and I have 
therefore nothing to seek. At all events, I have no 
desire to see him again.* 

'* ' On the contrary 1 On the contrary ! You must 
go to see him often. Shake off your timidity. With 
men in general be bold without impertinence. The 
less you treat them with respect, the more consider- 
ation they will have for you. Abase yourself, and they 
will put you under their feet.' 

" ' You are right,' replied I ; * nevertheless I cannot 
change myself; I cannot be bold by reflection nor 
calculation, nor humble by interest. It is unfortunate 
to have so little control over one's self, but it would be 
in vain for me to attempt to change my nature.' 

" ' Then you will never amount to anything. In 
the world, in order to succeed, one must play a con- 
tinual part ; one must know how to be humble when 
one is really proud, and to show one's self valiant when 
paralyzed by fear. Otherwise one is exposed to im- 
positions, dominated over and crushed. You must 
crush or be crushed ; which would you rather do ? ' 

"'So wretched a rule of conduct,' said I, 'will 
never be mine. My principles are absolutely dif- 
ferent. I look on life as a grave and serious mission ; 
as for yourself, excuse my frankness, it is not a r61e 
learned in advance for the theatre.' 

" ' Oh, I do not mind,* said he ; ' but our two systems 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 



129 



diflfer because you have too good an opinion of men. 
Yours is fine in appearance, detestable in results. 
Open your heart, unveil your inmost thoughts, it is to 
deliver them voluntarily as food for men whom reason 
commands us to despise as our natural enemies.* 

" ' I would rather,' cried I, ' regard them as 
brothers ! ' My cousin laughed ironically and stroked 
his beard. 

" ' My dear,* added he, ' it matters not what you 
prefer, but what really exists. I have never sup- 
posed that you were so innocent. All the bucolic 
pictures of mankind are very well in paintings, tap- 
estries, or screens, but in practical life to believe in 
Utopia is always to remain a dupe. At times man is 
good and honest, but he inclines more frequently to 
evil. Is it not worth while to lean on a normal state 
rather than on exceptions of short duration ? * 

" ' But humanity will perfect itself.* 

" * When ? How ? All nonsense ! Industry will 
advance, implements will be perfected so that we may 
be nourished and clad, commerce will develop, but not 
man. That which makes life easy for the masses is a 
benefit, and yet the question is not determined whether 
all this progress corrupts or elevates mankind. The 
question is not settled. We must use men like tools 
to elevate ourselves, and not lose time by loving them 
as a whole. The useless ought to be put out of the 
way without pity. The capable we must learn to make 
use of. Behold my theory ! Your*s leads to nothing. 
Sensibility is a disease, a malady of the worst kind.* 



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130 THE JEW, 

" This terrible theory did not frighten me ; I was 
prepared to hear it. This was for me a decisive and 
memorable day. It brought together, and at the same 
time drew apart, my mentor and myself. He contin- 
ued, looking me in the face : — 

" ' As I wish you well, not from a morbid sensibility, 
but to make of you a man who may be useful to me, 
I will give you one more word of advice. You have a 
habit, as if to distinguish yourself, of boasting con- 
tinually of being a Jew. It is ridiculous, and will 
injure you seriously.' 

" ' It would, I think, be still more ridiculous to wish 
to conceal it, and that I will never do,* replied I, ' for 
I am strongly attached to my race and to my belief. 
By simple calculation, even, would it not be a hundred 
times better to declare my origin than to conceal it, 
that it may afterward be thrown in my face as an 
insult?' 

" * But why recall your origin ever)rwhere you go ? ' 

" * Because I am proud of it.* 

*' * Proud, and why? That is inconceivable. Juda- 
ism was, perhaps, in former times our shield and 
buckler, but it is no longer so.' 

" ' But our religion,' commenced I. 

" ' Our religion ! What is it more than other 
religions? They are all alike. So much milk for 
babes. You believe, then, that it is wicked to yoke 
together an ox and an ass for labour, or to mix blood 
with milk, or silk with wool, and that whoever does 
not keep these old rules and reply Amen to them 
will go to hell?' 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 131 

" ' I respect even these old ordinances of my faith, 
difficult as they are to explain. I see the reason in 
the law of Moses of the order not to mix grains in the 
fields : it is a wise agricultural measure. To forbid 
two animals working together, one of whom is much 
weaker than the other, is a protection for the beasts. 
Not to mix blood and milk is probably a good hygienic 
law. Not to wear silk and wool at the same time can 
pass for a sumptuary law, designed as a lesson against 
superfluous luxury. In general, all these prohibitions 
against mixing species are symbols of the necessity that 
there is for Israelites not to mix with other nations. 
I respect these rules even when I cannot explain 
them. The * Amen ' in the schools is a duty, for not 
to assent to the rabbins is to show unbelief.* 

"My cousin listened, astonished at the enthusiasm 
of my answer, then he shrugged his shoulders. 

" ' You had better get rid of these prejudices,' said 
he. 

" ' If they were prejudices, you would be right, but 
you cannot call respected traditions prejudices. It is 
to put our faith in danger." 

"'What is faith?' 

" * The definition is unintelligible to those who do 
not feel the need of it.' 

" ' It is easy to recognize, in listening to you, the 
teachings of your first fanatical masters.' 

" ' I do not dream of shaking off the teachings of 
childhood. They have made me a member of God's 
chosen people. Leave me my convictions.' 



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132 THE JEW, 

** * Keep them, if you will. Your whims will depart 
of themselves. All I ask is that you keep them to 
yourself. Actual society is tolerant, but it does not 
like fanaticism, for that always denotes a narrow mind 
or an unhealthy state. Truly none of us forgets that 
he is a Jew, but it is unnecessary and injurious for one 
to be perpetually clothed in his Judaism.* 

** The life of my guardian conformed in all things 
to his principles. He was guided by cold reason, 
sometimes also by passion, which he knew well how to 
bridle, but never by sentiment, of which he was either 
destitute, or from which he strove to deliver himself. 
I know not if he was fashioned thus by nature or 
by education, but each one of his steps was regu- 
lated by self-interest. He put calculation above all 
things. He loved his daughter, but in his own way ; 
he had disposed of her, as he thought, excellently, and 
had brought her up to conform to his ideas. 

" A terrible despot under a benign form, he had a 
conservative instinct to undertake nothing that was 
not certain to succeed. Fighting against obstacles, 
where to draw back would have been an avowal of 
his weakness, he almost always succeeded where other 
men failed. 

"He now endeavoured to widen the circle of my ac- 
quaintances. In spite of my distaste to pushing myself 
on in this way, he did not cease to preach to me that I 
must take men by storm. He often took me to visit 
people who were odious to him ; for these he reserved 
his most gracious smiles, his most cordial protestations. 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT, 133 

He turned a deaf ear to all offensive allusions, and did 
not appear to notice the indifference of this one nor 
the ostensible malevolence of another. He had such 
control over himself that things which completely up- 
set me did not seem to make the least impression on 
him. He contented himself with biting his lips 
and smiling. But afterward the reaction was violent, 
and the more his irritation had been restrained the 
more violent was his hatred when he had taken off the 
mask. Reason, which always predominated with him, 
was the only thing which kept him from passing the 
bounds prescribed by prudence. 

" From the first year of my sojourn in Warsaw he 
initiated me into the world of speculators, where one 
must know how to defend one's self in order not to be 
crushed. Every day I felt myself less adapted to such 
a life. What shocked me most was the continual ly- 
ing ; hardly any one thought of speaking the truth. I 
adopted a different line of conduct, — an audacious 
frankness. 

"Men, who always judge others by themselves, 
imagined that I played an easy part, and that I acted 
thus by calculation. I succeeded well enough in 
business, but in the midst of rogues of all kinds I 
passed equally for a rogue, an impostor of a new 
school who played with truth. I acquired the repu- 
tation of being a good actor. This troubled me a 
little, but it gave me the measure of men of our epoch 
who have for their motto : ^Mundus vult decipi ergo 
decipiatur,* 



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" Mathilde, in these early days, was my only conso- 
lation. You already know that I loved her ; you know 
that our love resembled a flower concealed in the grass. 
For her, at least, I was neither a knave nor a comedian. 
A sentiment clearer than reason gave her confidence in 
my words. Our conversations were not like those of 
lovers. By an inexplicable mystery Mathilde's heart 
had not been chilled by her education. Many things 
were not alluded to in our discussions, which almost 
always took place in the presence of her governess. I 
did not like to let her know my opinion of her father, 
for whom she bore a lively affection, which it was not 
my wish to disturb. I also loved him in spite of his 
perversity. Some allusions from Mathilde made me 
understand that he also had suffered in his youth. 

"My guardian knew how to gratify his desires 
without infringing the strictest propriety or the most 
severe decorum. It was known, perhaps, but no one 
ever saw the least impropriety in his conduct. 

" For a year he spoke to me no more of religion. 
At the end of that period, accidentally, perhaps, rather 
than by deliberation, he renewed the conversation. 
No doubt he wished to know if my prolonged sojourn 
in Warsaw had modified my ideas and calmed my 
enthusiasm. Finding me absolutely unchanged, he 
abruptly changed the subject. 

"Some days after, he mentioned to me houses 
where I ought to pay frequent visits, hoping that the 
influence of those I met at them would act on my sen- 
timents and ideas. He recommended to me a family 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 



'35 



very important among the Israelites. This family was 
descended from the tribe of Levi, and numbered 
several members living together in perfect harmony, 
although one remained a Jew, another had embraced 
Protestantism, and a third had become a Catholic. 
My cousin approved this family as a model of indif- 
ference in religious matters. Pleasing to him, the 
spectacle scandalized me. 

" The melancholy which reigned in Mathilde*s soul 
I discovered also more or less developed in most of 
the women of her race, who can be divided into two 
categories: frivolous women without principle, and 
women obliged to conceal their noble instincts, know- 
ing them forbidden." 

The entire day was passed in conversation which 
gave Ivas much to think of, and although the friends 
rode on their donkeys, and two days had passed 
since their departure, they wefe yet not far from 
Genoa. 

Night found them in a little village on the sea-shore, 
near hills crowned with cypress, palms, and orange 
trees ; the huts were covered with ivy and surrounded 
by myrtle and laurels. 

They sought a lodging, and engaged one in a 
narrow street whose houses were built over ancient 
arches sunk in the middle of a hillock. In the dis- 
tance a travelling-carriage without horses announced 
a hotel. 

"What a meeting!" cried Ivas. "Unless the 
Italian carriages resemble each other like drops of 



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136 THE JEW. 

water, I swear that is the one which carried Mon- 
sieur and Madame Segel from Genoa." 

Jacob stopped short at the same moment. He recog- 
nized Mathilde's husband standing at the door of the 
inn near a woman who, from her height and figure, 
bore no resemblance to his wife. 

" It is a hallucination ! It is not possible ! " ex- 
claimed the Jew. 

"There is no doubt. It is Segel; it is he ! " said 
Ivas. 

Jacob's heart beat violently. 

" Yet," added he, as if to explain the reality, " they 
should be far from here, even supposing some acci- 
dent had happened to their carriage. It is singular. 
— Yes, it is Henri — perhaps she is ill, she — Let 
us seek another inn. It will be awkward for all. 
Ivas, go and assure yourself of this thing." 

The Jew seated himself near a caf6 bearing the 
motto, Del Gran Colombo. A quarter of an hour 
later the messenger returned. He seemed sur- 
prised. 

" Well, how is it? " asked Jacob. 

" Very strange. It is he, but — it is not she." 

" You dream ! Your eyes deceived you, without 
doubt." 

" No, I never forget a face. This one is a young 
Italian, fresh and gay. Impossible to compare her 
with Madame Mathilde : she is heaven, this one the 
earth." 

" Then the man cannot be Henri ! " 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 137 

" Certainly it is he." 

"Are they alone together?" 

"All alone, like turtle-doves. Madame or mad- 
emoiselle eats peaches, throws side glances at Segel, 
laughs and sings." 

" I must see it with my own eyes," said Jacob. 

The friends approached the inn, and Jacob soon as- 
sured himself that it was Henri, accompanied by an 
unknown woman with all the fascinations of an opera- 
dancer. 

He was about leaving when Henri Segel saw him, 
saluted him gayly, and drew near. 

" Is that you? " cried he* "You have caught me 
in flagrante delicto. Poor Mathilde is sick. She 
returned to Genoa after having accompanied me as 
far as Nervi. She will remain there quietly for a 
fortnight. As for myself, I needed distraction, and, by 
chance, I met an old acquaintance, la Signora Gigante, 
a French opera- dancer, who is the best of company. 
Bored and wearied as I am by the monotony of life, 
I seized this occasion to enjoy myself. One must 
laugh sometimes. Gigante is as simple-hearted and 
gay as a child. You have no' idea how amusing she 
is. She has drawn me from the monotony of my ex- 
istence." 

He confessed all this naturally and without em- 
barrassment. 

Jacob, stupefied, could hardly believe his ears, and 
knew not what to reply. 

" Mathilde," added the husband, " as you know, is the 



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138 THE JEW. 

most beautiful and accomplished of women ; but such 
ideal creatures are fatiguing. It is not always agree- 
able to talk of serious things in a solemn tone. A 
man occupied as I am needs sometimes to breathe 
easily. Gigante is an admirable clown in petticoats. 
Come, come, you will sup with us. You will laugh ! 
You will be amused, I assure you." 

Jacob felt a great wrath grow in him. He laughed 
savagely. 

"I accept willingly," said he ironically; "life is 
made only for amusement." 

Gigante, no longer able to repress her curiosity, 
drew near in order to ascertain who the two strangers 
were that examined her with so much curiosity. Her 
attention was bestowed principally on Jacob, as Ivas, 
poorly clad, promised little. She tripped toward them 
singing, and the refrain echoed in the street in bursts 
of gayety. 

" Je suis seule depuis longtemps, 

Seule, seulette. 
Eh, je suis veuve en mon printemps, 

Veuve et fiUette; 
Pas d'espoir d'horizon vermeil 

Pour moi seulette, 
II manque a mon del ton soleil, 

Veuve et fillette." 

Segel began to laugh on hearing this couplet, which 
she accompanied with very expressive gestures. With- 
out finishing the song she began to sing another, the 
melancholy words of which clashed with the joyous air. 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 139 

** Elle a perdu son tourtereau, 

Pauvre tourterelle ! 
Elle erre seule au bord de Teau 

En trsunant son aile; 
Elle fuit les nids aux chansons 

Que Pamour ^p^le; 
Elle fuit les fleurs des buissons 

Sans attrait pour elle; 
£t se baign6 dans le ruisseau 

Seule mais fiddle. 
Quel tounnent ! plus de tourtereavi ! 

Pauvre tourterelle ! " 

By a lively pantomime she acted the poor turtle- 
dove. The lost turtle-dove was, without doubt, Henri 
Segel, who almost burst his sides laughing. The 
signora after this exhibition drew near her cavalier, 
who presented the two gentlemen. 

" Ah ! Signori Polachi ! I like the Poles exceed- 
ingly," cried she, turning toward Jacob. ** E Viva 
la pavera Pologna / Ah, ah, ah ! Is it true that 
in your country it is so cold that sometimes the fowls 
freeze in winter, and do not thaw out until spring ? 
Bologne — Pologne ; same thing, isn't it? Have you 
been at Genoa? Did you go to the theatre? I dance 
and I sing at Carlo Felici. I am at the head of the 
chorus. I am promised before long the r61e of 
mezzo-soprano. Have you seen me play the sorceress ? 
No? That's too bad." 

"Dear Gigante," interrupted Henri, "if you tell 
everything at once there will be no more to say." 

" I know more songs than any one else," replied she 



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140 THE JEW. 

gayly. " I have a throat full. And if I can find no 
more to say, I can look at these gentlemen. That 
will drive you wild with jealousy." 

" But I am not jealous." 

" How ! Not jealous? You ought to be if you love 
me. That is a part of the r61e." 

"We will love each other — until Lucca." 

" What matters it ? Before we arrive at Lucca you 
will be dead in love. And you, messieurs, artists who 
go on foot, where are you going will you permit me to 
ask?" 

" We go to Pisa." 

"To Pisa? A dead city, a great cemetery. The 
Amo is like a dirty old ditch. You had better come 
with us to Lucca. There I will give you all three a fig 
and adieu." 

Then she commenced to sing again a merry song. 

Jacob listened, and a feeling of weakness came over 
him ; his brow was clouded, and, without replying, he 
left this joyous company, giving a headache as an 
excuse, and leaving Ivas to listen to Gigante. He was 
overcome with rage and emotion. 

The husband of the poor forsaken Mathilde giving 
himself up to such distractions ! It was easy to guess 
from this scene what her life was. Jacob suffered for 
her, and experienced a sensation of chagrin that he 
had not remained in Genoa where he could have been 
alone with her. 

But soon he blushed at the thought that he would 
have dared to profit by the absence of Henri. " All 



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141 



is for the best," thought he. ** I ought not to trouble 
her repose by my presence, for that would open old 
wounds in her heart, as in mine. Destiny has sepa- 
rated us. Great duties are before me. Her sadness 
increases. We have no right to glide into a paradise 
the entrance to which is forbidden. Fate urges me 
with an implacable lash. Let us go ! *' 

Ivas returned to his lodgings late that night, after 
copious libations and a thousand jokes with the 
coquette, Gigante, who could not conceive any one 
indifferent to her, and had tried to interest them both 
at the same time. Signor Enrico, during his little 
affair, had given himself the name of Don Fernando, 
so as to pass for a Spaniard. He was very proud of 
the conquest, and acted as foolishly as his companion. 

Ivas carolled, as he entered, a verse of a song he 
had learned from Gigante. He was troubled and 
ashamed when he saw Jacob reading the Bible. It 
was his custom when he was sad to read the Prophets, 
the Psalms, and the Book of Job. 

Ivas went to bed, but Jacob continued reading until 
at last the feeble light of the lamp forced him to 
cease. He arose and walked up and down the room, 
lost in deep and painful thoughts. 

Ivas could not sleep. Sympathy with his sorrowing 
friend and a little shame on his own part kept him 
awake. 

" Have you been in Dresden? " asked Jacob. 

" Yes," replied he, without understanding the reason 
of this question. 



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142 THE JEW. 

" You have then seen a poem of Israel's past, a sor- 
rowful poem of which the foolish debauchery of to-day 
awakened in me a remembrance. I speak of the 
* Jewish Cemetery/ by Ruysdael." 

" I have seen that picture/' replied Ivas. " It ter- 
rified me, but I could not comprehend it. It is an 
enigma that fills one with sadness." 

"One can remain hours before the canvas," said 
the Jew, " contemplating it with an impression of 
wonder. It is so sad, and, like the story of Atrides, 
stamped with the seal of an inexorable fate. But I 
love better the tears that one sheds at the sight of this 
work of a great artist, than the laughter which came out 
of the mouth of the debauched Henri, representative, 
as he* is, of a generation stupefied by riches, petrified 
by gold. Marvellous creation, this piece of canvas 
where nothing appears at first but sombre clouds and 
black trees torn by the tempest ! Examine it more 
closely : a lowering sky, some rocks/ a group of myste- 
rious trees, a brook which forces its way over the un- 
even ground. The picture reproduces only common 
things, but with an inconceivable force of expression. 
This wonderful artist, Ruysdael, this painter of rocks, 
ruins of convents and chateaux, of forests and lakes, 
has never better proved his genius than in his * Ceme- 
tery,' where he rises to the height of an epic poem. 
No other painter has such eloquence, such beauty, 
such majesty ; not even the brilliant Claude Lorraine, 
who plays so skilfully with light and shade ; nor Salva- 
tor Rosa, with his striking caverns and brigands. Tke 



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H3 



'Jewish Cemetery' is like a page out of the history of 
a people who do not find repose even in the tomb. 
Two figures only are faintly delineated ; nothing else 
but the oaks, and the torrent which carries away on its 
bosom the bones torn from the earth. 

" Fate pursues the Jew even in his last repose. 
Wishing to give an idea of the misfortunes of these 
people, the artist could not have done better than by 
showing us this graveyard, where, praying in a dark 
comer, two men wait until the fury of the tempest 
shall cease and the sun reappear. A single white 
flower springing from the soil gives hope of the re- 
turn of springtime. 

" At the end of the seventeenth century, when this 
masterpiece was produced, the sun for us had long 
rested behind the clouds, and the poor flower, emblem 
of brighter days, had scarcely budded. 

" The picture is a history of the Israelites in Europe 
in the past. To-day our history is the bourse, and it 
were better to weep over the tombs than over our 
waning dignity." 

The next day Ivas awoke early in order to prepare 
for their journey, but did not find his friend. The 
woman of the house told him that he had gone toward 
the sea at daybreak with a book in his hand. The 
morning was superb. Over the tranquil sea glided 
the fishing-boats with drooping sails. The sun gilded 
the waves, whose brilliant azure transported the imag- 
ination to the land of fairies. Seated on a rock not 
far from the inn, Jacob, forgetting his book, pensively 
contemplated the beautiful scene. 



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144 ^^^ S^Eiv, 

Ivas felt some hesitation about interrupting a rev- 
ery which drew him from the world, but the heat 
was already increasing, and it was necessary to set out 
before the morning was further advanced. After an 
instant of thought he wished his friend " Good-morn- 
ing ! " Jacob raised his head. 

"What need is there," said he, "of such haste? 
Why not remain, at least, a day on this beautiful shore ? 
We can rest here, and go on with fresh energy." 

"As you will. Our journey will be only one day 
longer. You ought, like Antaeus, to draw new strength 
from our common mother. Earth and Nature. I will 
not conceal from you, however, the impatience that 
grows upon me to return to that land whose sorrows 
I prefer to the delights of any other. There no one 
awaits me; there is nothing for me but shadow. 
Nevertheless, my soul is on fire when I think of my 
native land." 

" The sentiment is not strange to me. I, also, love 
your fatherland." 

"Why, then, do not your brothers think as you?" 

"A difficult question. Think how sad was the 
situation of the Jews there in the last century, and 
even recently. Like lepers, we were distinguished by 
our costume, we were banished to the interior of the 
country, and all the rights of man were denied us. 
All Christians were at liberty to molest us without 
punishment ; injuries and outrages were showered on 
us. Such conditions could not develop in the Jews, 
love of a country or its institutions. It even restrained 



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H5 



in our hearts love of humanity in general, — that 
humanity which would not receive us, but set us aside 
as if under a ban." 

" I am no admirer of the Middle Ages," said Ivas. 
"But tell me, where have the Jews had an easier 
existence relatively than in Poland ? Nowhere ; and 
the proof of it is that they are more numerous there 
than elsewhere. They come from distant lands to 
settle among us. Persecution has sometimes attacked 
them, but, in general, the law has protected them. 
Polish fanaticism has been intermittent, and not con- 
tinual as in other parts of Christendom." 

" I admit all that. But whence comes the abate- 
ment of persecution? It is because we are to-day 
much less Jews, and you less Christians. Extreme 
religious anlour produced horrible results ; who knows 
if the complete absence of belief will not be more 
pernicious still for humanity. My desire is to pre- 
serve the people of Israel from the malady of the age. 
Yesterday Henri showed us where freedom from all 
duty leads. This man deserts his sick wife, and runs 
over the country with a silly woman. A weakness, 
you will say, perhaps. No ; for in that case he would 
have been ashamed of his conduct, and he did not 
even blush when, by chance, we met him with his 
Gigante. As he sees things, it is all simple and per- 
fectly natural. A being capable of acting thus and 
affecting such cynicism is deprived of all moral sense." 

After a moment he continued : — 

" I have travelled over the Old World. I have vis- 



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146 THE JEW, 

ited Palestine and the Orient; I have slept in the 
tents of the Bedouins. I have visited the Musselmans 
in the cities. Irreligion is creeping in even among 
the pilgrims to Mecca. M^y make the pilgrimage 
more from ostentation than from piety. Among 
Christians there are fewer believers than traders in 
beliefs. In France, Catholicism is the tenet of a 
lame political party, but is not carried out in their ac- 
tions. Its defenders are the condotiieri \ they com- 
bat for a faith which they do not carry in the depths 
of the heart. They confess, perhaps, for the sake of 
example, but surely they do not pray. In revenge, 
they fling the worst insults at their adversaries, the ad- 
vocates of free thought, all in the name of religion. 
Social order is in ruins. It will be replaced by some- 
thing better, I hope ; but while waiting, the old struc- 
tures will waver, the columns will be overthrown, the 
altars will fall. Once the past is destroyed, we will 
need a Messiah, a Saviour ! " 

"You are pitiless," cried Ivas. "Ruins every- 
where, it is true ; I, also, believe there will be a new 
order of things. But it will come by progress and not 
after a cataclysm by a Saviour that you already see, 
and that you announce.'* 

"Let us change the subject," said Jacob. "The 
future is God's secret. Our destiny, imfortunate mor- 
tals, is to live in an era of transition." 

" To return to our journey. Shall we rest here or 
push on farther? " 

" Remain here. I am fatigued to-day. I need to 



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H7 



draw new strength from reading, talking, and think- 
ing. I will listen to the dashing of the surf upon these 
rocks ; the ocean, perhaps, will tell me something." 

" You are ill. I am sorry ; far from gaining, your 
malady increases ; it is easy to guess the cause. You 
regret not having remained in Genoa, where lan- 
guishes your beloved." 

" That is to judge me very base. I could not have 
offered her my society. My sadness comes from the 
conviction that her husband is unworthy of her. I 
know how she must suffer, and what her existence is, 
chained to such an animal." 

" Alas, there is no remedy ! " 

" Then it is better not to speak of it." 

Jacob closed his book, and returned to the inn with 
his companion. 

The day was passed in various discussions. They 
saw no more of Henri and his danseuse. The couple 
had left for Spezia, a new reason for Jacob to rest on 
his route so as not to encounter them. 

In the evening they went again to sit by the sea. 

" I am not yet," said Ivas, " completely satisfied 
with your history; have you no more to tell me? 
You have given me only the detached leaflets." 

" Why? Because the book is not worth the trouble 
of being read entire. That would take too much 
time. There are many details that would fetigue you. 
Be content, then, with the principal facts and the re- 
flections which they suggest ; but I will go on, as you 
desire it. 



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148 THE JEW, 

" I worked in the counting-house daring the 
greater part of the day. I found it necessary after- 
ward to cultivate my relations with society, to extend 
my study of the world and of character. I went out 
almost every evening, and often Mathilde and her 
father accompanied me. A part of every night was 
consecrated to the study of the Bible and the Talmud. 
From the first days of my existence in Warsaw, one 
man attracted my regard and inspired my sympathy. 
This was my guardian's brother, Simon Borah. 

"The brothers had no love for each other. Simon 
was not a practical man ; he had lost a part of his for- 
tune, and his business did not prosper. For the 
reason that he was obliged to aid his brother occa- 
sionally, my guardian disliked him still more. In a 
word, these two men had not one single point of 
resemblance. 

" Simon, though incredulous like his brother, was 
sentimental, whimsical, full of heart. He formed 
attachments easily. Frivolous, and even at times 
childish, he redeemed himself in the eyes of the 
world by a sarcastic wit and caustic argument; his 
satire attacked every one, even his brother. 

"Simon had been married twice. Both of his 
wives were dead. He was still gallant toward the 
fair sex, and he was in great demand in the sa/ons, 
for it was difficult to find a more charming man. 
He was feared a little also on account of his caus- 
tic tongue. Without religion himself, he sought those 
who were believers. He spared no one, but at 



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VOYAGE ON FOOT. 149 

heart acquitted all men^ a tear in his eye and a 
smile on his lips. He let himself be ridiculed by 
men who were &r fiom being his equals, and 
thereby carried his point; he vesembkd in these 
moments some monstrous animal which could not 
contain itself. Full of contradictions, he was logi- 
cal with himself. Christian with the Jews, and 
Jew with the Christians, it pleased him to appear 
paradoxical. Impressionable in a high degree, he 
interested himself deeply to-day in things to which 
he was completely indiflferent to-morrow. He had 
one great quality, that of never lying. When he 
could not answer frankly he covered his words with 
adroit sarcasm, or often was silent. 

"My guardian, who observed all the proprieties 
minutely, wrangled continually with this original who 
revolted against all restraint. 

" Small of stature, with mean features and yellow 
skin, with a quick step, he was very ugly, but of an 
expressive and intelligent ugliness ; such is the physi- 
cal portrait of Simon Borah. 

"He took a great fancy to me in spite of my 
religious sentiments, which I did not try to conceal. I 
knew he watched me closely, and I wished to deserve 
his good opinion. Each day his friendship increased. 
His penetrating glances soon divined my love for 
Mathilde without my ever having spoken. 

" One day when we were alone he suddenly turned 
to me and said he wished to ask me a question. 

" ' What is it. Father Simon? ' said I. 



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150 THE JEW, 

" ' You are sorrowful ? ' asked he. 

" ' No, I assure you.* 

" * I can read love in your eyes. Who is the object? 
Is it the English governess, Miss Burnet? The thing 
is not improbable; they say that withered flowers 
exhale the sweetest perfumes. Still there is another 
charming person in the house.* 

" He saw that the blood rushed to my face, and 
continued : — 

" * Between ourselves, I know your secret. Let me 
recall to you an official phrase of our very august sov- 
ereign, Alexander II., in his interview with the Poles : 
" No brooding over the past 1 " Your guardian is a 
practical man and has high aims.' 

" ' It is you who dream, Father Simon.' 

" ' Don't try to deceive me ! You are in love, my 
boy.' 

" ' Well, if I am, that will be — but that is not so ' — 

" * Very fine. I know what you wish to say. Be- 
lieve me, the best thing for you is to get over it as 
soon as possible. Do not play with fire, for 

" This fruit so sweet 
Is not for you." * 

" ' Never has such an idea come into my head.' 
" ' I should say the same if I were you. You will 
be wise to renounce all hopes.' 

"Our conversation ceased there. He left some 
days after for the baths, and when he returned he 
found Mathilde betrothed. When he saw me he looked 



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'51 



at me out of the, comers of his eyes, and read proba- 
bly on my face the resignation and the suffering so 
well concealed, for he shook my hand without saying 
a word. 

" Two days after he met me on the street, and whis- 
pered in my ear : ' The law of nature is that the most 
beautiful fruits shall be eaten by the worms.' Then 
he went away before I could reply. He loved Ma- 
thilde very much, and foresaw her fate, but he well 
knew that it was useless to speak to a brother who did 
not allow sentiment to interfere with calculation. 

" I devoted myself to business assiduously, hoping 
to forget my sorrow thereby. In the mean while, an 
unexpected change came to me. I could at last obtain 
the independence so long desired. 

" As I owed all to my guardian's bounty, I had been 
obliged to conform my life to his ideas, and to obey 
his orders. Study was full of attraction to me, but I 
had no time to devote to it except in the evenings. 
My cousin intended to send me soon to some foreign 
post, where I would be employed as a correspondent 
in the office for one of his partners. To travel, to 
observe, would instruct me, and I was not averse to 
going ; but I would have preferred to travel at liberty. 
Therefore you can well imagine that it seemed like a 
special grace from heaven to be delivered like a mira- 
cle from my chains, and to become master of myself 
and of my actions. It was near the time of Mathilde's 
marriage, when word came from my guardian to come 
immediately to his office. 



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152 THE JEW, 

" I feared some misfortune, when I saw him walking 
up and down the room with a cloudy face. 

" * Do you know what has happened? * said he. 

" * J have heard nothing new.' 

" * Then I will be the first one to congratulate you. 
Your distant relation, Moses Hermann, of Berlin, who 
has no children, as you know, has died and left you all 
his fortune. Ought I to rejoice ? No, I regret it, for 
I lose in you a man that I wished to form on my^wn 
ideas.* 

" I remained stupefied. 

" ' What do you think of it ? ' asked he. 

" ' I can hardly reply. For a long time I have de- 
sired to travel, and I hope to set out soon.' 

" ' You are at liberty to do so. I am happy to have 
given you an education which renders you worthy of 
this unexpected fortune. It is wonderful ! Moses 
saw you only once or twice.' 

" He shrugged his shoulders, and I hastened to my 
room to think over my good fortune and to collect 
my thoughts. The news had already travelled abroad, 
and persons in the city who had never noticed me 
before received me now with cordiality, and proffered 
me the warmest friendship. 

" Mann kissed me publicly on both cheeks and pre- 
dicted a splendid future for me. He even invited me 
to breakfast, a thing he had never done before. Others 
tried to persuade me that they had loved me from the 
depths of their hearts from time immemorial. From a 
nobody I became a marked man and a welcome guest. 



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153 



The will of Moses had made a great change in my 
life. This Moses Hermann had been in Warsaw soraf 
months before. A near relative of my mother's, he 
was unknown to me, and I then saw him for the first 
time. My guardian, knowing that he was a widower 
and without direct heirs, had some thoughts of a 
marriage between him and Mathilde, but this union 
was distasteful to an old man of seventy years. During 
liis stay in Warsaw I saw him every day. Under his 
reserve, I thought I had discovered in him an Israelite 
of the old school. Born and brought up in Germany, 
he was a type almost unknown among us, of an edu- 
cated and polished man who was not at all ashamed 
of his Hebrew origin. In many respects he was a 
German. It is well known^ what an important role 
the Jews play in German^nHn literature, music, the 
sciences, and politics. H4*>elonged to this group, 
grave, serious, a thinker, i?rtJ*e thought is not stifled 
by practical life. He love^5)9etry ; he even devoted 
some leisure moments to the muse himself, but did 
not write in the style of Henri Heine, whose genius 
he nevertheless admired. He informed me of the 
actual situation of our co-religionists, and of their 
waning faith. My guardian had recommended me to 
him ironically as an ardent Talmudist, which was an 
exaggeration. The visitor was curious to examine me 
on this subject. I answered him with entire frank- 
ness, and unfolded to him my convictions and my 
programme for the future. Irritated by the sneers of 
my guardian, I explained to him all my thoughts on 



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154 ^^^ JEW, 

Judaism, perhaps with some exaltation. Moses listened 
to me attentively, though he said nothing, and we did 
not resume the subject, for he left suddenly the next 
day. 

" Great was my astonishment at this bequest. In 
the will there was not a single obligatory clause. The 
wording was short and concise. The motive which 
was inexplicable to others was clear to me. It was a 
sacrifice made to the ideas which he approved and 
shared. 

" My guardian, who had expected this fortime him- 
self, spoke of the deceased with bitterness and accused 
him of ingratitude. 

" On this memorable day I met Father Simon. 

" ' It is too bad,' cried he, ' that the honest Moses 
did not die some months sooner. To-day it is the 
mustard after dinner, is it not? Nothing comes in 
time. However, perhaps it is for the best. I con- 
gratulate you, and I hope you will not be intoxicated 
by your sudden fortune.' 

" Really the surprise did intoxicate me somewhat, 
in spite of myself. Men appeared to me from a new 
point of view ; their baseness disgusted me, since now 
that I was rich they treated me so differently from 
when in poverty. It was impossible for m€ to ac- 
cept all their invitations or to escape their attentions ; 
I repelled them, however, with great interior con- 
tempt. 

'^ As my guardian had told me that I was free to 
dispose of myself, I resolved to go abroad. Since 



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155 



then I have travelled, and I return home with the 
firm determination of serving my brothers and my 
countrymen." 

Ivas sighed. 

"You are happy," said he; "free, rich, and at 
liberty to do as you please. Your education, your 
character, your force of mind, will enable you to ac- 
complish great things." 

** Listen," cried Jacob, taking his arm, " we will 
labor together to serve our countrymen. I am pre- 
pared for it." 

A light shone in Ivas' eyes, but he repressed the 
transports of his soul. 

"I thank you," replied he at last, with a sad smile 
on his lips, " but it will first be necessary to return to 
Poland. Our country is on the eve of important 
events. Impatience devours me." 

" Me, also," said Jacob. " Yet I do not share your 
presentiments. There are some events that I would 
rather avoid than hasten. We will speak of this 
later." 

The next day they continued their journey. Rest- 
lessness incited them. At Spezia they took the dili- 
gence and gained a railway station. They travelled 
quickly through Italy and Austria, and soon arrived at 
the frontier of what is called the Russian Empire. 

It is to-day the only European State, if one can call 
it thus, where there exists no security for any one. If 
one goes on foot, one is exposed at the caprice of an 
administration, on the least suspicion, or from 9, false 



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156 THE JEW, 

accusation, if not to death, to imprisonment of long 
duration, spoliation, or torture. It is better to fall 
into the hands of Calabria than into those of the 
functionaries of the Russian government. A country 
where, with the exception of the rights of the strong- 
est, there are no rights; where reigns a band of 
beings, a little polished but not civilized ; where the 
insatiable tools of brute force do not make any ac- 
count of man, of his dignity, of his age, of his merits, 
of his sufferings; is it not rather an immense and 
frightful dungeon? The unfortunates who have es- 
caped from its prison doors become the sport of the 
towns and villages. Before entering, a man was a man. 
He is now no more than the subject, the slave, not of a 
single autocrat, but of some hundreds of ferocious 
despots, each individual a greedy representation of 
the unlimited power of the Czar. On its Russian 
barriers one can read the inscription of Dante : 
'* Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch'entrate,^' "Who 
enters here leaves hope behind." 



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THE SABBATH. 



157 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE SABBATH. 

A SMALL hamlet near Warsaw. A spacious, empty 
market-place, on one side of which is a modest church 
and long cemetery wall ; on the other a row of old 
and new houses of wood and brick, inhabited chiefly 
by Israelites. One of these, more conspicuous, rises 
above the others with a certain arrogance. On the 
ground floor, a grocery. On the front two lions, 
recalling by their sculpture Assyrian art. In their 
paws a vase of flowers and the figures i860, no doubt 
the date of the restoration of the house. An eating- 
house with an open door is at the side. 

Almost all the business of the village centred about 
this dwelling, a sufficient proof that the proprietor was 
an important person. It was a Friday evening ; on 
the upper floors preparations were being made to 
celebrate the day consecrated to God in the Old 
Testament. 

Provisions of all kinds covered the kitchen table. 
Women kept watch over a roast goose, a baked fish, 
while pastry and other dishes were cooking in the 
blazing oven. The chambers were being set in order, 
brooms flourished everywhere, and the candlesticks 
were filled with candles. 



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158 THE JEW, 

Already the venerable Janki^ Meves had returned 
from the bath. He hastened to put on his best 
garments, although the sun was far from setting ; he 
had eaten little during the day, so as to do more 
honour to the blessed supper. While waiting, he 
reviewed in his memory all the events of the past 
week, seeking any violation of the sacred laws so as to 
efface them by sincere repentance. 

Jankiel was an Israelite of the old school. It would 
have been very easy for him to have gained a more 
elevated position, owing to his wealth, his intelligence, 
and his connections; but he refused to put off his 
costume and to abandon his religious observances. 
The noise of women's jests came to his ears from the 
kitchen below. His wife, Rachel, fat, mature, and 
rosy, kneaded three little white loaves, some of which 
she was careful to reserve apart for the Khallah. The 
good woman, after having washed her hands, had care- 
fully taken a portion of the dough, whispering the 
prayer used on such occasions : " Praised be Jehovah 
our God, King of the world ! It is from thee that we 
hav6 received our sacred laws, and it is thou who hast 
ordered us to k^p the Khallah ! " 

As there was only one family and one baking, 
Rachel threw only one Khallah into the fire. In 
another part of the kitchen was in preparation a stuffed 
pike, a favourite dish of the Israelites, recommended 
by tradition for the Sabbath day. At the same time 
roasts and other dishes were cooking. On this day 
of rejoicing economy is not thought of. 



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THE SABBATH, 



159 



The master of the house inspected himself the 
freshly washed dishes, the shining knife, and the clean 
stewpans. 

The hour arrived for the preparatory prayers of the 
celebration, with the Ten Commandments in Hebrew 
and in Chaldaic, a chapter of the Prophets applicable 
to the day of the year, and the 93d Psalm. 

What a profound impression can be produced on 
an oppressed people by this last song of the Psalmist, 
which commands patience, and promises God's ven- 
geance against oppressors. 

Jankiel recited the prescribed prayers, and, as he 
had yet time, he opened the Talmud and fell on a 
passage of the Book Berakhat. The reading plunged 
him in meditation. His thoughts went back to the 
days of intense persecution ; he wept, and thanked 
God that, in spite of captivity, dispersions, tortures, 
and oppression. He had miraculously preserved His 
people until the present day. Whence came this 
miracle, from the observance of the law. 

The time of prayers over, custom wills that the 
master of the house shall throw a last glance on the 
festive preparations; and, although he had entire 
confidence in Rachel, the Jew visited the kitchen, 
touched the dishes, and blessed in thought the nourish- 
ment about to be served. Then he returned to his 
chamber and read the Song of Solomon. 

The sun disappeared, and the candles were lighted. 
The solemn hour of the coming of the Sabbath ap- 
proached. 



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l6o THR JEW. 

The table was carefully set, and Rachel appeared 
in a toilette of velvet ornamented with pearls. Her 
daughters were dressed less elegantly, but with much 
taste, and the servants even were in their best. 

The time came to go to the synagogue, and Jankiel 
descended the stairs, Rachel following him with an 
enormous volume under her arm. Her daughters 
accompanied her, and behind came the servants. 
That no one from this house must miss service was 
the rule of this Israelite. 

The crowd filled the court in front of the temple ; 
rich and poor, devout followers of Mosaism, were mixed 
together, and the chorister intoned the prayer Achre. 

The service was long. Jankiel's face wore an ex- 
pression of sad preoccupation, and when he returned 
home he had, in spite of this day of rejoicing, a 
clouded brow and a discontented air. At times he 
looked at Lia, his younger daughter, who awaited with 
fear and trembling her mother's commands. 

She was a charming girl, whose features expressed 
innocence and sensibility of heart. Her eyes sparkled 
with the fires of youth, though they were now clouded 
by recent tears, and she looked at her father as if 
frightened. 

Rachel recited with her elder daughter the pre- 
scribed prayers while lighting the candles. ' Other 
prayers followed, some whispered, some uttered in a 
loud voice. The sacred songs echoed through the 
brilliantly lighted house, and the women read Hebrew 
books. 



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THE SABBATH, . i6i 

Jankiel absented himself to return to the synagogue, 
and Rachel assisted her daughters to finish the prepara- 
tions for the feast. She placed on the table, covered 
with a white cloth, two white loaves made by herself 
wrapped in a snowy napkin, in remembrance of the 
manna of the desert, the napkin representing the Hew. 

Returned home, Jankiel pronounced several in- 
vocations, and his two daughters besought his blessing. 
He extended his hands to the elder, but when the 
time came for Lia he hesitated a moment, and his 
voice trembled faintly in pronouncing the benediction 
for the second time. 

" May God make Rachel and Lia like Sara and like 
Rebecca ! " 

The mother in her turn blessed her children, em- 
braced them, and shed some tears, which she tried to 
wipe off, unobserved, on a comer of her embroidered 
apron. 

Before going to table a new prayer was addressed 
to the angels by Jankiel, then a second repetition of 
the Song of Solomon, and reading from the Talmud a 
verse chosen at random. Then followed the conse- 
cration of the wine and the blessing of broken bread, 
the pieces of which were distributed to the guests. 
It was thus they commenced the repast ; but, in spite 
of the command of Moses to be merry during the 
Sabbath, the father seemed to be deeply afflicted. 
His glance sought Lia, and the young girl was so con- 
fused that she would have liked to conceal herself 
under the table. 



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j62 • THE JEW, 

Carried out according to tradition, the feast had a 
solemn character. The supper was half prayer, half 
offering, and bore no resemblance to the fashionable 
feasts from which God is banished and to which one 
does not dream of inviting the angels. Jankiel, a 
scrupulous observer of the law, pronounced a last 
prayer at the end of the repast. After that they sep- 
arated. Rachel went to her bedroom, where Jankiel 
soon joined her. 

" I am alarmed," said she to her husband ; " you 
appear ill. You are not in your usual spirits. You 
have not the' tranquillity of the Sabbath. What is 
the matter with you?" 

" Oh, it will pass away ! Do not speak of it now. 
It would sadden this blessed and holy day.*' 

His wife said no more. 

It is thus that the Sabbath is kept in houses 
where the old customs are strictly observed. In most 
Jewish families the ritual is abridged, and this tends 
to destroy the ancient and patriarchal character of 
this consecrated day. 

Opposite JankiePs dwelling was a wooden house ; 
it was comfortable and convenient, and belonged to 
David Seeback. It was toward the windows of this 
house that Lia, alone in her chamber, turned her 
beautiful eyes. She sighed deeply, and seemed lost 
in thought. 

David Seeback, father and son, had for many years 
followed the profession of money-lenders, a business 
which was called usury until the moment when polit- 



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THE SABBATH. 163 

ical economy decided that to profit by the need of 
another is legitimate; and that interest, mutually 
agreed, no matter how high, is a permissible thing. 
These financiers were neither Jews nor Christians. 
They kept in appearance the Jewish laws and customs, 
but they attached to them no real importance. David, 
the father, gave himself out as a believing Jew to his 
co-religionists, but ridiculed all their observances when 
he found himself with the Khutars and the Goimes, 

He ate anywhere that he happened to be, and 
travelled on the days set aside for prayer and repose. 
In a word, he had shaken off tradition and found noth- 
ing to take its place. 

David the younger had received his education in 
Warsaw and abroad; he bore no trace whatever of 
his origin. Well educated, but very corrupt at heart, 
he found in his insatiable cupidity many ways of gain- 
ing money. The father was proud of his only scion, 
and predicted for him a high destiny ; and this time 
the proverb " like father like son " was right. 

While the solemn ceremony of the Sabbath was 
being kept in the house of Jankiel, the two Davids 
lighted their candles and ate their supper, but forgot 
the prayers and the offerings of bread and wine. 
They were alone. 

Long time a widower, Seeback had no other child 
but David. A weak character, he jested under all 
circumstances, and loved to make a trial of wit with 
his son. David the younger sometimes lent himself 
to this paternal whim, but, in general, he assumed a 



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164 THE JEW, 

certain gravity, so as to impose upon people by an 
affected wisdom. Hypocrisy was developed in the 
family from one generation to another. 

With all his indifference to religion, David the elder 
felt, on the days consecrated by custom, a certain re- 
morse for having abandoned the pious customs ; he 
was uneasy and unhappy. Sometimes he glided into 
an obscure comer, and murmured a portion of a prayer 
that he considered ridiculous to repeat aloud. He be- 
lieved that by these clandestine practices he might repel 
some imminent danger. He had lost all respect for 
Jehovah, but he feared him still. Several times on this 
evening he arose from the table, and, at the risk of in- 
curring his son's sneers, muttered in his sleeve some 
prayer. He had even simulated the blessing of the 
wine when he presented it to his heir, who, with a cer- 
tain tact, feigned not to notice all his grimaces. The 
younger David had a distinguished manner, but his 
features expressed pride and foppery. 

The father increased these faults by praises, and his 
admiration almost reached idolatry. He asked nothing 
in return but filial gratitude. The young man made 
very little account of his father, and reproached him 
continually for infractions of the laws of good society 
and for his ignorance. The old man at first essayed 
to justify himself, but always finished by bowing to the 
superior wisdom of David, junior. This insolent cox- 
comb was seated at table in a dressing-gown, with a 
cigar in his mouth. He wore gold spectacles, though 
they really hindered him from seeing. Fish was served, 



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THE SABBATH. 165 

the only vestige of traditional customs, then a roast 
and tea. The old man cut the bread, muttering some 
unintelligible words ; but he perceived a look of disdain 
from his son, and did not finish the prayer. There 
was a long silence, which the father broke by asking the 
young man, who had stretched himself out in a chair : 

" What do you dream of ? Of the Sabbath ? " 

" All that I know of the Sabbath is," replied David 
the younger, " that formerly they celebrated it. To- 
day it is foolish, a foolish custom, and it is old Jankiel 
alone who observes the ridiculous ceremonies. Un- 
fortunately, ridicule makes no impression on him." 

" Would you, then, mock him? " 

" Why not ? This wretched, vulgar Jew feels for us 
only malevolence and repulsion." 

" What matters it ? He cannot injure us. His ill- 
will cannot make us lose one thing or another." 

" That is true. And I would not have even noticed 
his aversion had he not such a pretty daughter." 

" How now I What are you thinking of ? Do not 
forget that you are already married, although you do 
not live with your wife. Do not plunge yourself in a 
love affair. There are plenty of girls who will suit 
you better than that lass. Even if you wish to be 
divorced, you must not dream of her. We can easily 
find for you the daughter of some Polish proprietor. If 
you take a second wife, you must look as high as pos- 
sible, and for one not a Jewess. Am I not sufficiently 
rich to buy a property grand enough to make all the 
neighbouring aristocracy jealous?" 



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l66 THE JEW, 

" I do not want land. Why invest in property that 
does not return four per cent., when we can now get 
twenty or thirty?" 

"You are right, and you are wrong. Our capital 
brings in, it is true, the interest you name, but at the 
same time we run the risk of losing it. When one has 
acquired so immense a fortune as ours, it does not do 
to expose all of it in the same speculations. Land can- 
not run away. The banks give four and a half per 
cent. ; but even the banks can fail. One cannot sleep 
easy with much money in the banks. The public 
funds? They are depressed. I continually fear a dec- 
laration of war. Land is really the safest investment." 

" Not as safe as you think. The land can be taken 
from us." 

"By whom?" 

"We are not in France, or England, where property 
is sacred. Our government offers no security. No 
one is secure here." 

" A very profound poHtical thought, and one worthy 
of being remembered. I render homage to your per- 
spicacity ; but suppose even that half of the land was 
confiscated, the other half would increase in value. 
That is indisputable, while paper may be worth noth- 
ing to-morrow. Let us return to your future marriage. 
The first was unworthy of you ; it must be dissolved. 
But why the devil do you dream of Lia ? She did well 
for herself to fall in your way. She is a Jewess, and, 
though she is not bad looking, beauty is not every- 
thing. What a figure she would make in your salon, 



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THE SABBATH, 167 

this country maiden who knows not how either to stand 
or to sit. Your second wife must be a woman wno 
has received a refined education. She must be of 
noble birth, that she may shine at court. And could 
Lia do that? A simple country girl ! " 

"Nevertheless," objected David, "it is not for my 
salon that I wish to marry. I myself prefer a simple 
and innocent girl to all the fashionable ladies of Warsaw, 
who, having had eleven adorers, marry the twelfth." 

"You talk foolishly. To think thus is the part of a 
common Jew, who only dreams of multipl)dng and 
filling the earth according to the command of the 
Bible. Your wife ought to push your fortunes. Through 
your education and your fortune you cannot fail to 
become a celebrated man. And what would you do 
then with Lia? Take her to a ball, or to the theatre? 
Truly, she would do you honour ! If some great per- 
son noticed her, she would be confused and embar- 
rassed, sucking her apron to hide her face. There are 
hundreds of Jewesses like that. You must take an 
educated wife, German or French. With your brains, 
and my money, you can aspire to anything. It would 
not be astounding for you to become minister, and 
then " — 

He threw out his arm, and extinguished a candle. 
He arose to light it, but, suddenly remembering that 
this was the Sabbath day, a superstitious fear came 
over his spirit. He remained standing, not knowing 
what to do. 

Seeing his father*s hesitation, his son left his cbair- 



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l68 THE JEW. 

and was bold enough to relight the candle. After this 
act of courage he reseated himself, and puffed his cigar 
with a malicious air. 

His father loved to smoke, but, as he dared not 
infringe the law, he always deprived himself of that 
pleasure on the Sabbath, under pretext of some 
trifling indisposition. When the candle was relighted, 
an infraction of the Jewish law, he at first regarded it 
with fear, but soon regained his normal state, and 
continued to explain his theories on marriage. 

" Lia cannot hope for a great fortune," said he. 
" Estimating JankiePs wealth at its highest, — house, 
manufactory, and shop, — he scarcely possesses a 
hundred, or a hundred and twenty thousand roubles. 
What is that? A mere trifle to us ! " 

" And we," asked the young man, to tease his father, 
"have we not enough money? " 

" How can such a word come out of your mouth? 
Has one ever enough ? With money one does as he 
wills ; without it, with all the intelligence in the world, 
one is only a fool. T will try to find you a rich wife. 
Think no more of Lia." 

"What if I love her?" 

"Love her? Your love will only be like a fire of 
straw ; the faster it bums, the sooner it will die out. 
A sensible man does not marry for love and for the 
bright eyes of a young girl." 

David, junior, burst out laughing, and his father was 
exceedingly proud of this mark of approbation from 
one whQ was usually so di^d^unful, 



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THE SABBATH. 169 

Satisfied with themselves, they were about to retire 
to their rooms, when they heard loud knocks on the 
outer door. 

The thing was so extraordinary at this hour of the 
right, that the old man experienced a sensation of 
anxiety and foreboding, which changed to one of 
surprise when he saw at the door a man of fine 
appearance and of commanding stature, whom he did 
not recognize at first sight, 

" Messieurs," said the stranger, " I hope you will 
pardon this intrusion on a holy day, and at so late an 
hour." 

" Why, this is Monsieur Jacob ! " cried the old man. 

" Our holy law," replied the new-comer, " forbids 
all business transactions on the day consecrated to 
God, but the law permits us, on such occasions, to 
succour even a beast in danger of death ; how much 
more, then, a man." 

" Dear Monsieur Jacob, we do not belong to that 
superstitious class who dare not touch the fire or sew 
on a button during the Sabbath. Be seated. What can 
we do for you? But pardon me; my son David, 
Monsieur Jacob, who is a distant relation, and of 
whom you have often heard me speak," added he, 
presenting his son to the visitor. 

David, junior, only knew that Jacob had been the 
sole legatee of a rich banker of Berlin, but that was 
sufficient to cause him to receive him with distinction. 
They invited him a second time to be seated. Jacob 
excused himself with a certain impatience. 



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lyo THE JEW. 

" Perhaps you have not yet supped ? " asked the 
master of the house. 

" I reached your town somewhat late, and hastened 
to fulfil my religious duties. I have been to the 
synagogue, then I ate a little at the inn." 

" Ah, you go to the temple ! " and turning toward 
his son, the old man said : — 

" What a good example ! Monsieur Jacob, well 
brought up and intelligent, observes the law !" 

"Yes," said Jacob, "a Jew I shall always remain. 
No doubt in captivity and exile we have added many 
ceremonies to the Mosaic law. These are both sweet 
and bitter souvenirs. It is good not to let them be 
extinguished." 

The elder David visibly rejoiced at these words ; 
his son smiled and bit his lips. 

" Every one ought to follow the dictates of his own 
conscience," said he. 

" But tell us to what good fortune do we owe your 
visit?" asked the father. 

" I come to you on account of our relationship, 
to demand a service. I met in Italy a young Polish 
exile who suffers so much with homesickness that I 
brought him here with me. He was poor and ill. 
My conscience urged me to aid him. He fled from 
Poland several years ago, fearing to be implicated in 
a political plot." 

" Political affairs ; bad business," grumbled the old 
man shaking his head, while his son said nothing. 

" He has succeeded in obtaining a passport under ajj 



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THE SABBATH. 



171 



assumed name," continued Jacob, " and he was de- 
termined to brave the danger, and accompained me 
to Poland. At the frontier he would not accept my 
offer to go on with him. For fear of compromising 
me if he was arrested, he preceded me so as to enter 
his native land alone. Honest youth ! Happily he 
passed the frontier, as I learned on arriving two days 
later. Scarcely had I passed the custom-house when 
I heard that the police had discovered that he was 
travelling under an assumed name. I hastened to re- 
join him at the station where he was detained, and 
secured his release. I come to ask you to shelter him 
in your house, which is not suspected by the police, 
until I can obtain amnesty for him or find some 
other means to rid him. of his pursuers. Otherwise 
the unfortunate boy will be sent to Siberia, and perish 
like many others of his oppressed countrymen." 

The silence with which the two Davids answered his 
request showed that they were not inclined to har- 
bour the young Pole. The appeal to their senti- 
ment of humanity fell on deaf ears. It was the 
elder who, with a frown, finally spoke. 

"This is a most delicate business," said he, 
"and very dangerous. Why not be frank with a 
kinsman ? This is not a Jewish affair. What have 
we to do with the Poles, or Polish complications? 
They have nothing in common with us. The govern- 
ment does not persecute us, or, at least, it could 
persecute us much more. We are believed to be 
loyal and devoted. Why, then, should we expose 



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172 THE JEW, 

ourselves and alienate this favourable disposition, 
by aiding our former oppressors, the Poles? Why 
should the Jews meddle with politics? It is not 
our business." 

"You and I differ in regard to that," replied Jacob.^ 
" If we wish to enjoy the same rights as other in- 
habitants of this country, we ought to commence to 
take an interest in politics and in the welfare of the 
land. It is only thus that we can expect to live on a 
footing of perfect equality. The government has de- 
cided to crush out the intelligent and educated Poles. 
It certainly belongs to us who eat their bread to make 
common cause with them against their oppressors, 
who are only conquering intruders. Let us remember 
our own captivity." 

" Did you not say that the Jews ought to observe 
the law above all things ? You contradict yourself, for 
the law commands us to protect ourselves, and it is 
contrary to our interests to take part with the Poles." 

"How do you know that? Can you read the 
future ? The iniquities committed against this nation 
cannot always remain without vengeance. God has 
permitted the chastisement, but the measure is full. 
The sins are washed away by tears and by blood ! The 
day of justice draws near ! In the day of terrible 
retribution it will be better to be with those who have 
been purified by divine punishment, and not with those 
who have incurred the wrath of God." 

" In my turn let me ask, how do you know all 
this?" said the elder David. " Is it your prophetic 



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TMB SABBATH. 1 73 

spirit that tells you ? Have you remembered the sins 
of these Philistines, the extortions and the miseries 
with which they afflicted us ? Do you know that there 
still remains much to expiate ? " 

'^ It is not just to make a single nation responsible 
for the crimes of all Christians. The Jews have been 
persecuted everywhere, and in many lands much worse 
than here." 

"What good is all this discussion?" cried the 
younger David, rising from his chair. " It is nothing 
to us who obtains the upper hand. . I do not care to 
decide who are the better, the Russians or the Poles. 
At least I know how to take a Russian. He is always 
easily bought ; at first he is bn^tal and insulting, then 
he holds out his hand, and you have only to oil it 
with a few pieces of silver, and he becomes sweet and 
obliging ; but your Poles do not inspire me with so 
much confidence." 

Jacob would listen no longer ; he arose, and cried 
indignantly : — 

" Then, as such are your convictions I will not insist. 
I see, with sorrow, that you, as well as others, choose a 
selfish policy, and always take sides with the strong 
and not with the right." 

"The right? The ancient rulers of the country 
have not respected us, have they?" 

"If r admit that, is it any reason why we should 
imitate them to-day? The elect people ought to be 
more virtuous than the people they live with, and set 
them an example." 



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,74 THE JEW, 

The younger David began to whistle, and then 
said : — 

"Who speaks now of virtue and right? In the 
world of to-day self-interest is the sole right. Virtue ! 
Right ! Grand words, in which one no longer be- 
lieves." — 

The old man bowed before his son's superior 
wisdom, and threw a glance full of pride at Jacob, 
which seemed to say : — 

" How can you reply to that, eh ? " 

The friend of Ivas calmly surveyed the young man, 
and replied in a grave voice, dwelling on each word ; — 

"Unfortunately, you appreciate our epoch at its 
true value. However, that which now is cannot 
always be. Truth still exists. Our law, thousands of 
years old though it may be, is not worn out. Open 
our holy books, and you will read therein truths which 
have never ceased to be truths, and which will never 
cease until the end of the world. Men are corrupt ; faith 
has diminished. God will rectify this state of things. 
Let us be followers of the ancient law, and not of 
present errors. If you have gained by your education 
nothing more than the reasoning that you affect, I 
sincerely pity you." 

On this Jacob ceased, and the old man, before so 
calm, became agitated, and looked at his son for a 
reply. The serenity of spirit of this man, so firm in 
his belief, awoke in him a fear similar to that which 
had kept him from relighting the candle on the Sab- 
bath, 



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THE SABBATH, 



175 



David, junior, replied coolly : — 

" Do not trouble yourself about me, I beg of you. 
Monsieur Jacob. Every one to his own opinion. Do 
not go yet. Perhaps I can find a way to satisfy your 
demand without incurring any risk." 

" Thanks. It is weak of me to implore you again 
to help an unfortunate whom you so little wish to 
succour. Still a few more words. The country is on 
the eve of a revolution. The result is doubtful, but it 
is an opportunity for us to gain equal rights by the 
sacrifice of our blood. Let us profit by it. Many of 
my race think as I do." 

" Many ? How many ? Who are they ? Do you 
know the intentions of the Emperor Napoleon? Are 
you in the secrets of Lord Palmerston ? Have you 
received the confidences of the Rothschilds?" 

" I can only tell you one thing ; it is, that here the 
most sensible men are of my opinion." 

"And the richest?" 

" Yes, the richest also," replied Jacob, with an in- 
voluntary smile. 

" In that case," said the old man, " we must take 
the affair into consideration." 

" As for the object of my visit, I regard it a failure. 
I can only excuse myself for disturbing you at such an 
hour." 

Then he turned to go, when the old man called him 
back. 

"Wait!" cried he. "A glass of wine. David, 
bring the three rouble Bordeaux, Deign to taste it. 



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1^6 THE JEW. 

Monsieur Jacob. Isolated, as we are, in this little 
village, we know not how the wind blows. Tell us, is 
there anything in contemplation? " 

" You had better find out for yourselves, and then 
you can decide which party you will aid." 

" Those incorrigible Poles ! I fear they are en- 
gaging in some new pranks." 

" I know nothing," said Jacob. " I can only sur- 
mise. The Muscovites themselves have the air of 
hastening the explosion of this foolishness to divert 
that which threatens their own country, * holy Russia.' 
Since the emancipation of the serfs, the situation has 
been critical. By kindling a fire in Poland, they re- 
light the national hatred, and turn away the public 
thoughts from Petersburg and Moscow towards the 
provinces. It is the only way, now that the peasants 
give proofs of discontent and the revolutionary idea 
is propagated, the sole method of reaffirming the 
authority of the Czar." 

" What admirable teachers ! " cried the old man. 
"Profound wisdom like that is the gage of certain 
success. Certainly, that is the side we had better 
take." 

" As a nation," said Jacob, " we have been con- 
quered more than once. Always in place of attaching 
ourselves to the triumphal chariot, we have remained 
faithful to the cause of God." 

He then rose to leave for the second time, but the 
elder David was ashamed to let his visitor depart 
thus. 



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THE SABBATH, 



177 



" What, then, is your proposition? " asked he. 

"To shelter under your roof an outlaw. This 
village being isolated, the risk is not great." 

" Very true," said the younger man ; "but in a 
small place like this, where every one is acquainted, 
the arrival of a stranger would be remarked." 

"Then say no more about it," said Jacob, turning 
to go. " A thousand excuses for disturbing you." 

This time he really took his departure. 

" I am sorry," said the father to the son when they 
were alone, " that we did not find some way to 
arrange this affair. Jacob has excellent connections. 
What will he tell them of us ? Truly, he cannot have 
a very good opinion." 

" Bah ! I am, perhaps, of your opinion, but we 
could not do otherwise. Let us to bed." 

The protector of Ivas returned to the inn, and did 
not awaken his companion, who was wrapped in a 
deep slumber. He threw himself on the bed, and his 
thoughts kept him awake the greater part of the 
night. He arose early to seek an interview with 
Jankiel, whom he did not know personally. 

Having introduced himself to the old man, he took 
part in the morning prayers, and then told him 
frankly that he had long desired his acquaintance, 
and that he addressed him full of confidence in his 
well-known sentiments. 

This frankness pleased Jankiel, who placed his hand 
on his visitor's shoulder, and replied kindly : — 

" I have heard of you as a man on whom the peo- 



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1^8 THE JEW. 

pie of Israel can lean with confidence, for, in spite 
of your known learning, you guard the ancient faith, 
customs, and practices, and honour old age. In all 
this you differ from many of our young men. May 
the God of Isaac and Jacob bless you ! Learned men 
abound, but pious ones are rare. Our customs are 
neglected ; they spit on the tombs of our ancestors, and 
on all that past ages have taught us to respect." 

" I fear I am not possessed of all with which you 
credit me, but I try not to disgrace my ancient faith 
and lineage." 

" And where do you come from now ? " 

" From foreign parts. I have visited almost all 
countries inhabited by the Jews, and everywhere I 
have verified their deplorable misery." 

" Have you visited the land of our fathers ? " 

" Yes, but even there the Jews are not at home. 
They are strangers even in their own country." 

At this moment Jankiel remembered a citation 
from the Prophet Jeremiah, to which Jacob replied by 
the following passage from the Talmud : — 

" * The hands of the divine mercy are always out- 
stretched under the wings of the Seraphim to receive 
the repentant sinner.' " (Pesakhim 119. a.) 

Jankiel was enchanted to hear the young man 
quote the Talmud, so neglected by the present genera- 
tion. He blessed him, with emotion, and said : — 

" My heart goes out to you, and I would be glad 
to give you a proof of my sympathy. Speak, and tell 
me what service you require of me." 



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THE SABBATH, 



179 



" I come to you with a petition that I have al- 
ready, but in vain, addressed to David, your neigh- 
bour." 

At the name of David the old man frowned, but 
quickly replied : — 

" That need not deter you. I am listening." 

Jacob related the history of Ivas, and asked Jan- 
kiePs advice. 

"The circumstances," replied the old man, after a 
moment of thought, " are difficult. We ought, how- 
ever, to side with the persecuted and not with the op- 
pressor. * Among birds the strongest always attack the 
pigeon and the dove, which are the most acceptable 
offerings to the Lord.' (Baba Kama, 93. a.) Un- 
happy Poland ! We have lived with her people on the 
same soil for five hundred years. We ought not to 
forget that. It is true she is not of our faith, but God 
does not command to kill even infidels. * Be at peace 
with all thy brothers, with thy neighbours, with all 
men, even the Pagan.' (Barakhot, 17. a.)" 

" Beautiful words ! If all observed them the world 
would be better." 

" Unhappy nation ! She has passed through the 
most frightful calamities, and greater horrors still 
threaten her. She wishes to break her chains, and at 
each attempt these chains are more tightly welded. 
God has humiliated her because she has counted more 
on human strength than on divine clemency. Her 
pride is not yet broken. Poor country ! If we are 
unable to help her, at least we can pray God to pro- 



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i8o THE JEW. 

tect her. Where is the young man? What do you 
intend to do with him? " 

" Ivas is with me, but I can keep him only with 
great trouble. In his ardour he would throw him- 
self into the hands of those who seek him. I desire to 
procure him shelter for awhile. But where? Will he 
be prudent and obedient? I hope I can persuade 
him of the necessity." 

" If you had not first appealed to David, I would 
have received him into my house. Now I dare not. 
I have a room in the attic where he would have been 
in safety, but it is too late. An accusation is to be 
feared. I could buy myself off, but he would be lost." 

" Do you not know of some house, some friend, in 
the country?" 

" Ah ! yes ; I see my way out of this embarrassment. 
I know some honest men who live in the depths of 
a forest. Early to-morrow I will take him to them 
in my wagon. But he must be on his guard." 

Jacob embraced Jankiel with effusion. 

"Never mind thanking me so warmly," said the 
latter with emotion. " I am happy to oblige you, and 
also your friend, who loves his country and liberty as 
we formerly loved Judea. However, in the name of 
Heaven, if you have any influence with the Poles, try 
to restrain them. The enemy lies in wait for them, 
and already rejoices in anticipation of the spoils and 
the cruelties he will accomplish when the anticipated 
insurrection has been crushed. There is nothing 
gained by setting fire to one's own house in order to 



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THE SABBATH, i8l 

drive out invaders. They must be wary and use 
strategy." 

" Your words are full of wisdom, but men are rarely 
guided by reason. Suffering and misfortune are bad 
counsellors." 

Jacob informed Ivas of the result of his visit, and 
added : — 

" I have done all that I could. Now it is for you 
to be careful not to fall again into the claws of the 
Muscovite. You will be informed if you are in dan- 
ger, so that you can leave your hiding-place." 



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l82 THE JEW, 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION. 

After his absence of several years, Jacob was sur- 
prised at the aspect which Poland presented. An ex- 
travagant and foolish hope and excitement prevailed 
everywhere. The most improbable rumours were 
accepted without question. All hearts rejoiced, and 
for the second time all hands were outstretched toward 
that France, which was, however, transformed into a 
sort of machine, obeying the capricious will of one 
man. Wonders were announced from Russia. The 
Muscovites were preparing an outbreak, and from this 
terrible uprising would come a reconciliation with 
Poland. 

The tolerance of the government, a feigned and 
calculated tolerance, passed for weakness and impo- 
tence. Russia, it was said, had changed; she had 
weakened, and was no longer capable of repressing a 
patriotic rebellion. She was afraid, and the fear was 
believed on account of easy concessions, which were 
really made in order to precipitate the revolutionary 
movement. All this was to the secret satisfaction of 
the Czar and his ministers, who directed a course of 
action full of ambuscades and of deceit. 

The propaganda of Hertzen, Bakounine, Ogaref, 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION, 183 

Golovine, Dolgorouky, — legatees of the ideas of the 
Decabristes, — had not been entirely unsuccessful in 
the cause of true Russia, the ancient Moscovie. They 
had worked on the youth of the universities, they had 
penetrated the army and the navy, they had sprung up 
even in the garrets and in the country. The govern- 
ment had been obliged to capitulate before them. 
They were so strong at present, that it was hoped by 
the precipitation of the Polish insurrection to divert 
.the public attention from the greater danger which 
threatened St. Petersburg and Moscow. Thus the 
poor Poles were unconsciously led on to their own 
destruction. It was permitted to the Katkof and to 
the Aksakof to turn insidiously the aspirations for 
liberty into a current of national hatred. 

In the last repression of Poland, the Russia of 
Alexander II. was more barbarous, more pitiless, than 
the Russia of Catharine and of Nicholas. As for 
Europe, which was formerly agitated at the sight of 
these crushed people, she regarded with cold indif- 
ference the hanging of Mouravief, and the wholesale 
exile of the people who strewed the route from the 
Vistula to the Lena with corpses. Such is the sym- 
pathy of Europe in this mercenary age, when self- 
interest is too highly esteemed to be endangered by 
taking the side of the oppressed. 

At times Jacob refused to believe his eyes and ears, 
men seemed so different from what he had imagined 
them. Their language and their deportment were no 
longer the same. His first visit in Warsaw was paid 



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184 THE JEW, 

to his former guardian. He found him absent, and 
it was rumoured, engaged in important enterprises. 
On returning from his house he met Henri Segel, 
for whom his aversion had augmented since, on the 
route from Genoa to Spezzia, he had encountered 
him in company with the danseuse Gigante. He 
recoiled and blushed on hearing the joyous voice of 
Mathilde's husband. 

" Really, this is a surprise," said Henri. " You 
are more astonished to see me here than in Italy? 
Well, we live in changeable times. Mathilde did 
not like Italy, and was determined to return to la 
cara patria, I consented to come, for urgent busi- 
ness made it necessary for me to do so. How de- 
lighted I am to see you again. Monsieur Jacob ! I 
am on my way home, and willingly or by force you 
must come with me. I am anxious to show you my 
new residence. It is a lovely house ; a jewel, com- 
fortable, elegant, and in good taste. Come and help 
me amuse Mathilde. Always sad and weary, she 
communicates to me her sadness. She is an incom- 
prehensible woman ; in fact, all women are incompre- 
hensible. My wife wants for nothing. She has only to 
ask in order to obtain silks, jewels, — everything that 
would make most women happy. But she is always 
discontented ; an unhappy disposition ! Come, let 
us go 1 " 

" Truly I have not much time. I have only just 
arrived, and I have business to attend to." 

" Your business will keep. Mathilde will be de- 



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THE EVE OF AN ISSURRECTIOS'. 



185 



lighted to see you. You will be doing her a special 
favour. Come, then, I pray you ! " 

Jacob felt that he ought to refuse, but the tempta- 
tion was too great. To see her again ! Duty for- 
bade it, his heart demanded it, and his heart led him. 

Henri took his arm as if to prevent his escape, 
and conducted him to his home. 

"Look well at Warsaw," said he gayly. "What 
changes everywhere ! " 

" It is true," said Jacob. " These transformations 
I feel, but I cannot explain them." 

" Enormous changes ! The general exaltation is 
complete 1 The hand is on the trigger. A revolu- 
tion is imminent." 

" May God preserve us from it ! " said Jacob. 

" It is inevitable, or else I am a fool. I can smell 
powder ; but, in any case, it cannot hurt us. Naturally, 
there will be many victims, and it behooves us to 
manoeuvre not to be caught in the wheels of this 
machine, which rolls and crushes. We have every- 
thing to gain, whatever be the result, whichever be 
the conqueror." 

"I avow that I do not comprehend you." 

"From either side we shall obtain civil equality. 
That is certain. Afterward we shall not be ruined, 
even if we throw millions into the abyss. Our capital 
is not seizable like that of the landed nobles, whose 
estates can be so easily confiscated, but our wealth is 
portable; gold and jewels chiefly comprise it. We 
shall save our fortunes, and there lies our strength. 



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lS6 THE JEW. 

The Muscovites will prevail in the end; the odious 
class of proud Polish nobles will disappear, and we 
shall be the aristocrats to whom the country will 
belong." 

"The truth of your calculation may be proved, 
perhaps; its cruelty is unsurpassed. With what in- 
difference you discount the misfortunes of those who 
form the basis of your argument ! " said Jacob. 

" What else can I do ? Can I prevent this upris- 
ing ? Ought we not to profit by circumstances ? Be- 
lieve me, the Jews hold to-day in their hand the 
future of Poland. Yesterday despised, soon we shall 
be the masters ! Look at the nobility I What is it? 
A band without strength, who guard their pride of 
birth, their arrogance, their corruptions, their eccen- 
tricities, and foolish indifference; they have all the 
faults of their ancestors, and none of their virtues. 
It is a caste surely fated to die. Such a caste 
cannot exist now-a-days. And if society still demands 
a sort of modified aristocracy, who will replace the 
nobles ? Who but we ? '* 

" You know that I am a Jew, heart and soul," said 
Jacob ; " but I pity Poland if your prophecy is accom- 
plished." 

"And why?" 

" Because we are not ready for the role you lay out 
for us. We have not deserved, by our conduct, to be 
the arbiters of this country. And to tell the whole 
truth, our community is more corrupt than the nobles ; 
it is already worm-eaten." 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION. 



187 



"Not so bad as they, though." 

*' Our malady is different from theirs, but it is as 
dangerous." 

*' Oh, no ! Because we know how to acquire and 
preserve this wealth, while the nobles do not know 
anything of business, nor how to manage their vast 
estates economically. The strength of money, the 
strength of capital, is the only real power in this 
century." 

** An opportunity, as you have remarked," said 
Jacob, " is presented to the Jews of Poland to play an 
important role ; as important as the one they already 
hold in Germany. Will they understand their advan- 
tageous position ? Will they be worthy of it ? Two 
questions to which God alone can reply." 

Segel burst out laughing. 

" You are a pious Jew," cried he. " In everything 
you mix the idea of God. These old superstitions are 
completely worn out." 

" And that is precisely what afflicts me. We have 
torn our belief to tatters, but under them is gold." 

"What use of speaking of the debris of a past 
which will never return ? There is my house ; it 
cost more than a half million. I will do the honours, 
and we will go afterward to find Mathilde." 

He looked at his watch. 

" Saperlotte! I am expected at the Bourse in half 
an hour ; but I have still time to stay a few moments 
with you ; then you can await me with Mathilde. I 
^U despatch my business at a gallop." 



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l88 THE JEW. 

The mansion was spacious and elegant, but with a 
vulgar display of wealth. No taste, refinement, or 
sentiment for art. It was built on one of those plans 
which serve at the same time for private houses or 
hotels. Superb mirrors with gilded frames, furniture 
covered with velvet hangings of great price, wonder- 
ful inlaid floors, rare bronzes, crystal chandeliers, 
porcelain from China and Japan, costly bric-a-brac, 
and a general tone of vulgar display ; such was the 
dwelling, where, in the least details, one could see 
that the proprietor had everywhere sought to dazzle 
his guests, and confound taste with costliness. 

During the inspection he several times spoke 
thus : — 

"This bibelot cost me a hundred ducats; this vase 
is worth a thousand roubles." 

The ostentatious mansion was worthy of a de- 
throned king or of a prince in partibus. The gen- 
eral air of the house, nevertheless, was that of solitude 
and ennui. The rooms seemed uninhabited. In 
spite of their proportions, there was something want- 
ing. Nothing seemed homelike or cheerful. 

Segel even conducted Jacob to the pretentious 
kitchen, provided with a constant flow of running 
water. There was a tank filled with fish, and many 
other inventions more or less ingenious. 

As soon as his host had left him to go and inform 
his wife, Jacob threw himself on a couch; he was 
overpowered with fatigue and disgusted with all this 
show, and pitied Mathilde more than ever. 



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\ 



THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTIC 

Madame Segel soon entered slowly; she 
pale, and was almost unable to walk alone\ 
saluted her friend with a sweet smile tingec^ ..u 
melancholy. In her sunken eyes burned a strange 
fire. 

" Welcome home from Italy, monsieur," said she, 
holding out her hand. " I longed to return home ; 
but what matters it, here or there, it is all the same." 

" No doubt life, regarded in all its gravity, is full 
of sadness everywhere," said Jacob. 

"Why the devil do you regard it thus?" cried 
Henri, offering Jacob a little glass of brandy. " I 
almost forgot the Bourse. I have hardly time to 
swallow anything. Dear Mathilde, be good enough to 
keep our guest until my return. I confide him to you ; 
do not let him escape. I will be absent only a quar- 
ter of an hour." 

He rang. 

"Are the horses ready?" asked he of the servant. 

"Yes, monsieur." 

" That is good. Au revoir. Without further ex- 
cuse I leave you with my wife," said he, kissing his 
wife's hand. " If you are at loss for conversation, she 
can play the piano or sing something. You will find 
the daily papers on the table. Very poor reading, I 
assure you, but, for want of something better " — 

When he had gone they remained silent for some 
time, not daring to look at each other. At last 
Mathilde sighed, and held out her hand to him, mur- 
muring : — 



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190 THE JEW, 

" Jacob, we are old and good friends, and nothing 
more, are we not ? " 

" Madame," replied he respectfully, " time has not 
changed me, and the confidence you have in me will 
not be betrayed." 

"When we seek to keep apart," said Mathilde, 
" fate reunites us. It is a temptation. Let us remain 
worthy of ourselves and worthy of our past, so pure. 
I cannot understand Henri. Ordinarily he is so jeal- 
ous. He does not Hke to leave me alone with men. 
And to-day he has acted so differently. Is it confi- 
dence or indifference ? I will ask him." 

" What matters it ? Tell me how you are, and why 
you left Italy so soon? " 

"Because there is suffering everywhere, death 
everjrwhere. Since my marriage I am stricken at the 
heart. I must suffer, here or there. I am always 
suffering." 

"And your health?" 

" The soul alone is ill. But speak of yourself." 

"I — I have neither the time nor the right to 
suffer. Man lives not by sentiment, but by action. 
It is this which renders us at the same time more 
miserable and more happy. In the struggle for exist- 
ence, when we receive a wound, we have no right to 
think of it, and we must continue the combat. Even 
you, madame, why not seek a remedy for your sor- 
row? — an occupation, some aim in life." 

" Occupations, my dear Jacob, are very limited for 
a woman without children. Without them, what ob- 



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THE EVE OF A,V INSURRECTION, 



191 



ject in life has a woman? Do you think that to sew 
and embroider can tranquillize a soul?" 

"Reading, music, and poetry are inexhaustible 
sources of enjoyment. Believe me, madame, days 
well employed are not followed by satiety, regret, nor 
remorse. Those who have not the creative genius 
can assimilate immortal creations. It is a voluptuous 
life that draws away from the cares of existence." 

" Alas ! to follow your advice it had been necessary 
to be initiated to this manner of living, and to be ac- 
customed to it." 

"You can form the habit." 

" I have already, thank Heaven, an occupation in 
music. It soothes me, absorbs me, and passes the 
time. But music occupies only a little comer in my 
heart, and cannot fill it entirely." 

" Reading, then." 

" Reading unveils to us too much the secrets of 
life. I speak of romances, the drama, and poetry." 

" In that case seek, and you will find, some more 
serious occupation." 

" I will try. But enough of this. Speak to me, 
Jacob, of yourself. For what have you returned? 
What are you going to do?" 

" I return, heart and soul full of ideas, and more an 
Israelite than ever. I bring back projects of reform, 
of labour, and of sacrifice for my people. My views 
are almost presumptuous. I dream of being a Bar 
Maimonides. There is so much to do for our poor 
race." 



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192 THE JEW, 

"Do you believe it? Do you think that you can 
unite these scattered people?" 

" Yes ; provided that my strength holds out. The 
task will be difficult, arduous, and redoubtable." 

" Who will be your disciples ? The believers re- 
main attached to their foolish superstitions. They 
will repulse you as a new kind of heretic. The un- 
believers and the indifferent will listen to you as to a 
mad poet, and will ridicule you." 

"The prophets have often been repulsed by the 
crowd, who have even at times stoned them to death. 
But each one of them has left in history traces of his 
passage, and the grain that they have sown has 
germinated." 

" Then you will have the courage of a xx\zx\jt ? 
You deceive yourself, however, if you think that you 
will be riddled with stones in public places where you 
preach. You will, instead, have jokes thrown at you ; 
you will be called a fool, and covered with ridicule. 
That will be a shabby martyrdom, absurd and insult- 
ing. The stoning would be preferable. Sarcasm is 
a mighty weapon." 

" When a man is absorbed, inspired, and exalted, 
full of the truth that is within him, he does not see 
the pygmies in the crowd. It is the crowd, the mass 
only, that he sees. When so many of our people 
dream of nothing but money getting, no matter how, 
it is absolutely necessary that some one should take 
an interest in the moral elevation of souls, and devote 
himself entirely to this holy mission." 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION 



193 



*' How happy should I be to be your pupil ! but I 
fear I am not capable of understanding such science, 
such wisdom. At times it seems as if I can foresee 
the future, but, really, I am very ignorant. Write out 
your thoughts and I will read them. I will leam 
them by heart, and I will spread them among those 
of my own sex who are deprived of the consolation 
of faith in God. Unfortunately, if you are a Barak, I 
am not a Deborah." 

Jacob was about to reply when the door opened, 
giving entrance to Mathilde*s father and husband, ac- 
companied by Mann and Simon. 

Henri had informed them of Jacob's arrival, and 
they were all invited to dinner. The acceptance on 
the part of an important person, like Mann, was ex- 
traordinary, for he usually made some excuse, and 
declined all ordinary invitations. 

Jacob's former guardian ran to him with open arms, 
and cried : — 

" Welcome ! I embrace you, and wish you much 
happiness. Rabbi Jacob." 

Mann cried at the same time : — 

" I am rejoiced to hold your hand after so long an 
absence." 

"How do you return to us, Akiba or atheist?" 
asked the jovial Simon. 

" Neither one nor the other. I am the same as 
ever, only a little more alarmed as to the future." 

" Then it was not worth while to leave Poland," 
replied Simon, " and you arrived just in time to assist 
in a revolution." 



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1^4 THE yEW. 

" It is no laughing matter," said Henri. 

" I am not joking," said Simon. " I am organiz- 
ing, myself, a regiment of Jewish gamins, that I shall 
lead to combat seated in a sedan chair. In place of 
a gun I will have my umbrella." 

" Such pleasantry is ill-timed," replied Mathilde's 
father. " We are on the eve of grave events." 

" It is every day more apparent. Alas ! " 

"Your * alas,' Father Simon, shows that you con- 
demn these revolutionary tendencies." 

" How can I approve them ? " 

" It is useless to oppose public opinion," remarked 
Mann ; " these fools will not listen to reason. When 
reason speaks they are deaf as a post. The best 
thing we can do is to look out for ourselves." 

"The safest thing," added Simon, " is to conceal 
ourselves during the combat." 

"Certainly. Why should we mix in it?" said 
Mann approvingly. 

"To speak seriously," said Jacob, " there is, per- 
haps, another line of conduct to follow." 

"The catastrophe is not yet certain," observed 
Henri, " for there are among them many reasonable 
men." 

Mann rose from his seat and cried : — 

" The catastrophe is certain. It cannot be other- 
wise with a clique of proud and degenerated men 
guided by their passions and not by reason." 

"Dear Monsieur Mann, and what of us?" asked 
Simon. "Are we neither degenerate nor proud? 
Speak I " 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION, 



19s 



" We are not to be compared with those men. We 
are worth much more." 

" That is true. They are blind, we are only lame. 
The Jews are peaceable men, suited only for business. 
When there is disorder in the streets they close their 
shops." 

" My faith ! they are sensible to do so." 

" Thus said my late papa," murmured Simon. " It 
is a sacred duty to follow his advice." 

'* You are always joking." 

"And you, the day when you joke I will abstain 
from it. If no one throws a note of gayety into the 
conversation, they would say that Heine carried all 
the Jewish spirit into his tomb. It is a service I ren- 
der you all. Mann, you do not know the efforts that 
you cost me." 

The grave Israelite, wounded in his self-love, walked 
up and down the room, puffing and grumbling. 

"And how does the country seem to you, dear 
Jacob? " asked Mathilde's father. 

" Very much changed. How things have changed 
for us ! " 

" Why do )5ou say us?'' asked Simon. " The half, at 
least, of our people do not take part in this with us." 

" The question is much discussed by the press." 

" But, in general, public opinion favours us." 

"Yes, in appearance," replied Mann. "The 
Poles affect to be liberal, but, at heart, they remain 
feudal aristocrats, incorrigible, and puffed up with 
pride." 



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196 THE JEW. 

" Listen," interrupted Simon, " to a word of advice. 
Do not speak of men * puffed up with pride.* It is 
inconsistent on your part.*' 

The great man looked at Simon, and said scorn- 
fully : — 

" You are only an old fault-finder." 

" Fault-finder, if you will, but look at yourself in 
the glass before you reproach others with being 
proud. Are you more approachable, more cordial, 
more charitable, than L. P. K., or many other nobles ? 
They have their heraldry, you your millions. Two. 
different causes, but both alike result in pride." 

" Hold your peace, you are insufferable," cried the 
rich man. 

Then he murmured between his teeth, " What an 
impudent fellow ! " 

Henri and his father-in-law laughed heartily at his 
wrath. 

" Dear brother in Israel," continued Simon calmly, 
" each time that the nobles have a bad odour smell 
yourself. You will discover the same odour. You 
are at heart an aristocrat, but you lack the title." 

"Enough ! Enough ! " cried Mann. . 

" No ! It is not enough. I must get rid of my 
bile. If I do not I shall stifle, and that would be sad 
for me at first, for you afterward, if you wish to pay 
my debts. We were speaking of pride. Very well. 
If we have not crests surmounted with coronets, nor 
three hundred years of nobility" — 

" Enough, I say 1 Enough ! " 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION, 197 

" Certainly, if you insist." And at last Simon con- 
sented to be silent. 

Mann sulked awhile, then said to Jacob : — 

" What news do you bring from Jerusalem ? What is 
the condition of the Jews there ? How do they live ? " 

" In miser}'. They ask our aid to help them em- 
igrate to foreign lands. They await the signal of re- 
generation from us. We ought to listen to their 
appeal." 

" You wish, then, to direct the world ? " 

" I have not that pretension. Akiba, however, was 
only a shepherd before he became a sage. I might, 
perhaps, follow his example." 

" It is the contrary with which you are threatened, 
if you do not change your conduct," cried Simon. 
" From a sage you will become a shepherd." 

His guardian laughed good-naturedly, and said : — 
" Simon predicts the future well. Instead of re- 
forming humanity, apply yourself to business, and 
leave God, in his wisdom, to direct the world accord- 
ing to his own plans." 

"Can we not become the instruments of God? 
Ought we not to try and accomplish his designs? I 
have no wish to amass wealth. I am sufficiently 
rich." 

" If your whim is to be a second Akiba," replied 
Simon, " I doubt if you will succeed. From the 
ashes of Akiba have sprung up Borne and Heine. 
The precepts of Heine in a book are fine ; in flesh 
and blood, inconvenient." 



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198 THE JEW. 

" I do not like Heine," said Jacob. 

They all exclaimed against this sacrilegious preju- 
dice. 

" Why do you dislike him ? He represented in his 
day the true contemporaneous spirit of the Jews with 
the Kladderadatch." 

" I do not like him, because his spirit is a spirit of 
destruction, debauchery of thought, debauchery of 
language, irony, scepticism, and abasement of human 
nature. All these are scattered among the pearls and 
diamonds. It is no less corruption though the author 
be remarkable for talent and genius. It is from this 
very corruption that we should free ourselves, for it is 
a presage of death ; it is the death-rattle." 

" Then," finished Simon, ^*Judceorum finish 

"Yes. Finis Judceorum et Juddismi finis J^ 
The people of Israel resemble a man who, having pre- 
served intact a treasure during a journey of a thousand 
leagues through forests full of brigands, lost it in a 
puddle at the door of his house. This treasure is our 
faith, and it is in danger." 

" Dear Jacob, why do we always speak of religion 
and morality? You really believe, then, that they 
exist somewhere ? " 

" If they are dead, we should employ means to re- 
suscitate them." 

" Decidedly he is mad," muttered Mann to himself. 
Then he added in a loud voice : — 

" I should be proud of such an honour, but I am 
unworthy." 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION. 



199 



'* And I," said Simon, " I advise you to devote your 
energies to a task less likely to prove disappointing. 
For example, seek in the Talmud the things forbidden 
to a Jewish stomach. Mai'monides has counted 
twenty-four. With a little perseverance you can get 
it up to thirty. What a glorious discovery that would 
be!" 

"What matters the number of dishes," said Jacob. 
" Yet the prohibition has produced good results, be- 
cause it has set a limit to gormandizing." 

"If you only knew, dear friend," said Simon, 
"what^a savour there is in a sausage! A wealthy 
proprietor of Volhynie, although originally an Israel- 
ite, ate them to satiety, and afterward said : ' I stuff 
myself with sausages, for I eat them for myself and 
for my ancestors, who never tasted them during many 
generations/ " 

"Truly," cried Henri, " the conversation takes an 
agreeable turn, thanks to sausages." 

Mann, wearied with the lamentations of Jacob and 
the jests of Simon, started a new subject. 

" Has any one here," asked he, " been at the house 
of Count A. Z. lately?" 

The count was a person whose popularity increased 
daily, though it might be fleeting. 

"I," responded the indefatigable Simon. 

"And you were received?" 

"Why not?" 

" Very well. What did he say ? " 

" Always tb^ s^ipe sobriety of words. His theory, 



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200 THE JEW, 

like that of all the nobles, is that the Jews ought to 
work to obtain their rights, — like apprentices, in order 
to pass their companions and masters." 
, " He is right, up to a certain point," said Jacob. 

" How is that? " asked Mann angrily. " Have we 
not, we who were bom on the same soil, received 
from nature the same rights as- these men ? In what 
are nobles our superiors ? Have we not gained our 
rights of equality by humiliations endured during 
ages?" 

" Nature," replied Jacob, " has created us all equal. 
I do not deny that ; but on the side of rights there 
are duties. If we do not share all the burden we 
shall not merit all the rights." 

" But we could not escape the expense, that I know ; 
and, with their usual haughtiness, the nobles do not 
welcome us to the Agricultural Society." 

" Until the present day," said Jacob, " we have not 
had a single title to aspire to it. Yet I admit that 
the nobles are wrong to be so exclusive." 

" Certainly. It is wrong for them to act thus ; 
and, tell me, what is the object of the societies the 
nobles are organizing? It is to deprive us of our 
commerce." 

" Perhaps that would be rendering us a great ser- 
vice, for with this single occupation we are losing 
prestige. It would, perhaps, be for the best if we 
were obliged to seek our means of existence elsewhere. 
Why should we always remain traders? Besides, 
thanks to our experience and ability, we have not 



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THE EVE OF AX INSURRECTION, 201 

much to fear from their competition, for they know 
nothing about business." 

" But they will monopolize commerce. Their so- 
cieties are directed against us. Their Agricultural 
Society is a conspiracy, a plot against the Jews. 
Everywhere we meet evidences of their hatred." 

" And I do not think that on our side there is very 
much good-will either." 

"And why should we like them?" interrupted 
Henri. "Though they are very polite, and some- 
times even familiar, they exclude us from their inti- 
macy and never accord us their friendship." 

" We do the same." 

" But with us it is different," replied Mann. " We 
have an excuse, for they have never ceased to render 
themselves odious." 

"Then," concluded Simon, "we have a right to 
detest them, and their duty is to return love for hatred. 
Eh ! If we slap them on one cheek, they must offer 
us the other ! Besides, the Christian religion teaches 
that, does it not?" 

Simon looked as serious as an owl as he spoke thus, 
but Mann continued, without smiling : — 

" These nobles are fools ! Their confidence is ex- 
travagant. They believe in the promises of Napoleon 
III. ; they count on England, on Italy, on Hungary 
and Sweden, and even on Turkey. They await a revo- 
lution in Germany, — a revolution of potatoes, no doubt ! 
They also hope much from troubles that are to arise 
in the interior of Russia. And from all this will infal- 



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202 THE JEW. 

libly come out the resurrection of Poland ! What 
bUndness ! " 

" In the meanwhile," observed Mathilde's father, 
" we are in a very disagreeable position. It is equally 
foolish for us to be on either side. Russia will pre- 
vail, that is certain ; but during the combat the Poles 
can crush us and do us much evil, perhaps send us 
out of the country. 

" You are mistaken," cried Henri. 

" Yes," agreed Simon. " One has only to sit on 
two chairs to be sure that if one fails he can sit on the 
other." 

« Naturally." 

"One thing is clear to me," said Jacob. " It is, 
that we ought to side with Poland and share her fate, 
however disastrous the consequences may be. Self- 
sacrifice should be our watchword, and no matter 
what happens, our efforts will not have been in 
vain." 

"In this," said Mann, "Jacob is not altogether 
wrong. In the proud days of the Pohsh republic 
many noble families were so divided that part of their 
members were for the king, and others against him. 
These took part in the insurrection ; those sustained 
the government. They had a foot in each camp, and, 
whatever the result, the one saved the other. It is a 
good example to follow. It is necessary to keep the 
middle path : these are the ideas that should be scat- 
tered among our people." 

" No, no ! '* cried Jacob. " Not the middle path ! 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION. 



203 



We must share the fale of Poland, without reserva- 
tion." 

Mann struck him on the shoulder and said : — 

" You are very young." 

" Yes, yes, he is young," repeated Simon, " and he 
ought to listen to the advice of those who have had 
some experience. It is for old fellows to tell young 
ones what to do." 

Just then a lackey in livery and white gloves an- 
nounced at the door that dinner was served. Ma- 
thilde, who had absented herself, appeared and took 
her father's arm, and Mann eagerly rose and hastened 
toward them. 

It would be useless to dwell on the elegance of the 
table and the gastronomic perfection of the repast. 

Henri ordinarily contented himself, in spite of his 
wealth, with a bit of bread and a glass of brandy. 
But when his vanity was affected nothing was too 
costly. He was full of apologies, pretending that this 
was an impromptu.repast, and that he was afraid they 
would not find enough to eat. It was really a dinner 
for diplomats, and the menu was on rose- colored 
paper bordered with silver. 

Mann affected a nonchalant air, so that his lack of 
education might not be noticed. He tied a napkin 
around his neck and ate in silence. The conversa- 
tion turned on the gossip of the day. 

Suddenly Mann addressed himself to Jacob in 
Polish, and said ; — 

" Although you are an orthodox Jew, you have in- 



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1 



204 ^^^ 7^^' 

fringed one of the most important laws of your re- 
ligion." 

" Oh, let us drop Judaism," said the master of the 
house, in French. "Avoid this subject before the 
servants." 

" But what sin have I committed? " asked Jacob. 

" A sin so great that you do not deserve to be 
called a man in the sight of the Lord." 

"What is it, then?" 

" How old are you ? " said Mann. 

"Twenty and over." . 

" Very well. Since the age of eighteen years you 
have been in sin, for you have not married, and that 
is the first duty of every Israelite. If you do not has- 
ten to do so, Dumah will catch you one of these da)rs, 
and throw you into the depths of hell ! " 

" I do not deny that youthful marriage is a duty," 
replied Jacob, " but I believe that our law tolerates 
some exceptions. As for myself, I have not the least 
wish to marry." 

" How thoughtful Mann is ! " cried Simon ; " he 
wishes to put a halter around your neck, because 
misery loves company." 

Jacob replied simply : — 

" I cannot marry without love." 

As he said these words he threw an involuntary 
glance toward Mathilde, who grew pale and looked 
down. 

" What a rogue ! " continued Simon, with a forced 
gravity. " To wish to put the sugar of love on the 



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THE EVE OF AN INSURRECTION. 



205 



bitter dish of marriage, is to seek hypocrisy where one 
ought to expect duty and care only." 

" Father Simon, we are so accustomed to your jests 
that your last remark can pass for one. It contains, 
however, many truths. Yet I venture to ask you if it 
is not permitted to aspire here below to a little joy 
and happiness? And true love can procure that." 

" No ; not in practical life. Romance has per- 
verted your imagination." 

" It is, then, forbidden to hope for a little poetry in 
this prosaic life ? " 

" Poetry ! The Jew ought not to speak of it. 
Calculation should be our business. Two and two 
make five, because to admit that two and two make 
four implies a loss of interest. But to return to your 
marriage." 

" Rather let us drop the subject." 

*' Very well," said Mann. " I assure you I will bore 
you about it until you decide. Unfortunately I have 
no more unmarried daughters. But I can recom- 
mend to you a charming young woman with a portion 
of a hundred thousand roubles." 

«' A hundred thousand roubles ! " cried Simon. 
" You had better take her, Jacob." 

"Thanks for your interest in me," said Jacob 
coldly, when Mathilde spoke in her turn. 

" My uncle and cousin are right," said she, fixing 
her large, black eyes on him. " You ought to marry." 

" What ! " cried he sadly. " You also ? You are 
in the plot?" 



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2o6 THE JEW, 

"Yes; because I desire to see you tranquil and 
happy." 

" Singular receipt," murmured Simon. 

" We had better leave the subject of marriage to the 
managing mammas. After all, we 'are meddling with 
something that does not concern us, and some day 
Jacob will be claiming damages and interest for hav- 
ing marriage put into his head," laughed Henri. 

T'hey arose from the table, and all the men save 
Jacob grouped themselves together. 

"What do you think of him?" asked his former 
guardian of Mann. 

" He is a remarkable man. He could be very use- 
ful to us if it were not for his religious whims. They 
are very well for the ignorant, but useless for en- 
lightened men." 

"Yes," replied Simon; "religion for you is cab- 
bage soup for the poor. You prefer turtle soup." 

"This mania will pass," added Segel; "the princi- 
pal causes are his youthful enthusiasm, his poetic and 
devout spirit. Let us persuade him to engage in 
some useful and lucrative business ; it is the best way 
to keep him from proclaiming himself Jew so often." 

New visitors arrived ; Mathilde was at the piano, 
and Jacob listened, all absorbed. 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND, 207 



CHAPTER X. 

THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND. 

A SHORT distance from the mansion of Segel, sej)- 
arated only by their gardens, was a pretty little stone 
villa covered with ivy and other climbing vines. The 
low windows opened on a veranda, and sculptured 
ornaments of wood and stone gave it an attractive 
appearance, although it was a little deteriorated by 
the dampness, and there was about it a general air of 
neglect. 

The proprietor of this villa was a man who could 
not live in it on account of the expense he had in- 
curred in building it. His puerile fancy had ruined 
him, and he was reduced to living in a garret. The 
plaything was let during the summer, and during the 
rest of the year it remained empty. 

This dwelling lacked a master who would love it 
and care for it ; such was the air of neglect it had 
taken on. 

For several months it had been occupied by 
Madame Wtorkowska and her daughter. This lady 
was the widow of a speculator who had been unfortu- 
nate in business, and had died in debt. His wife 
had succeeded in concealing from the creditors some 
portions of the estate. She lived on this with a cer- 



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2o8 THE JEW, 

tain elegance, and aspired to move in the best society. 
She went sometimes to Ems, to Spa, or to Paris, and 
hoped everything from her only daughter, whom she 
considered a marvel. 

Mademoiselle Emma was really charming. She 
was twenty- two years old and owned to twenty, but 
no one had yet offered her his name and fortune. 
Although the mother was persuaded that a king or a 
prince of the blood would have been fortunate to 
possess such a treasure, the simple gentlemen found 
that this pearl was exacting, and had luxurious tastes 
a little too costly for men of moderate fortunes. 

That was why, in her despair, Madame Wtorkowska, 
nie Weinberg, went back to her Israelite friends, 
among whom she hoped to find a rich merchant who 
would marry her daughter. 

Emma was very beautiful, of that ideal type taken 
by the painters for Rachel or Rebecca. She was a 
dark- eyed blonde, with a snowy complexion, features 
which were like sculptured marble, large, black eyes 
full of a mysterious fascination, and rosy lips whose 
charming smiles displayed teeth of pearl. Nature 
had made her an actress, and her mother had devel- 
oped in her the art of simulating all emotions and 
playing all r51es. 

This mother knew excellently how to appear a liter- 
ary woman, without having read much. She gave 
herself out as an accomplished musician, though she 
hardly knew the notes. She posed as a lady of high 
degree, although she had seen the best society only en 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND. 209 

neglige at the baths and in some salons of doubtful 
distinction, and she masked her poverty under a 
deceitful elegance and an appearance of wealth. 

Emma, of which the Polish is Emnsia, called her- 
self, for short, Musia, which she further transformed 
into the French, Muse, which gave her a stamp of 
originality, and expressed by a name her diverse tal- 
ents and her dazzling accomplishments. At an early 
age she learned to play the piano, and initiated herself 
in light and easy Uterature. Provided that the book 
was written in French, in an elegant style, her mother 
asked no more ; as for the morals they inculcated she 
was utterly indifferent. *' This is not suitable. That 
can harm you. You must guard yourself well from 
this or from that." These were the rules of conduct 
that Madame Wtorkowska gave to her daughter, who 
sooij became accomplished in all her refinements : the 
art of dissimulation, habitual and unblushing falsehood, 
elegant and perfumed deceit. She had a great natural 
talent for music. At six years she passed for a little 
prodigy, at twelve she played in public, and at eigh- 
teen she was proclaimed Chopin's most clever inter- 
preter. She had so enchanted Liszt at Ems, to 
believe her mother, that he would have married her 
then and there had it not been for the double obsta- 
cles of the. princess . . . and his priesthood. 
Muse, the better to attract attention, had adopted a 
very beautiful, although somewhat eccentric, toilet. 
Her mother lost no occasion to show her beautiful 
daughter at the theatre, at charity concerts, at the in- 



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2IO THE JEW. 

dustrial exhibitions, and at the art galleries. She also 
added the publicity of the press, by procuring, from 
time to time, a flattering mention of the beauty and 
talents of Muse in the Courrier de Varsovie, 

In spite of all, she had no luck so far ; all the arti- 
fices of coquetry had not obtained a proposal of mar- 
riage worthy of being taken into consideration. Two 
aspirants only had presented themselves in a legit- 
imate and honourable manner : a youth of eighteen 
years all fire and flame, and an old man foolishly in 
love. As neither of them had any money they were 
quickly refused. 

At the baths of Spa or Ems a count also had 
offered himself, but this noble had ruined himself by a 
dissipated life, and, as he could not return to Warsaw 
on account of his debts, lived " by his wits." 

In a moment of discouragement Muse thougj^t of 
becoming an actress. " With my beautiful voice and 
charms of person," said she, " success is certain, and 
I shall soon be rolling in gold." But this idea was 
extremely distasteful to her mother, whose ambition 
was for a solid establishment, and not for the precari- 
ous life of the theatre. She wept, and implored her 
daughter not to think of it, and assured her that their 
pecuniary resources were sufficient to keep them in 
luxury for another year. Much might be accom- 
plished during a twelvemonth. They were sure to se- 
cure a rich husband by that time. Why not wait before 
leaving the social sphere to which they were accus- 
tomed ? The scenic career would always remain open. 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND, 211 

The same day that Jacob dined at the Segels 
Madame Wtorkowska returned from the city to her 
villa in radiant humour, and found her daughter at 
the window reading one of F^vaFs novels. She con- 
templated her a moment with admiration. 

" How lovely you are to-day," said she ; " more 
beautiful than ever ! That is right ; your beauty is 
your capital. I have a magnificent project. We 
must succeed. Conquer or die is our motto ! " 

"What has happened now?*' asked Muse, throw- 
ing down her book and giving a side glance in the 
mirror. 

" I have just learned that Jacob, your old ac- 
quaintance, has returned to Warsaw. He will be your 
husband. I have a presentiment of it. A natural 
presentiment never deceives. You know the pro- 
verb : ' That which a woman wishes' '* — 

" * The devil wishes,' " replied the girl laughing. 
" You are in great spirits, but you need not waste 
your wit on me." 

" I have already said that twice in public with great 
success." 

The mother kissed her forehead, and said in 
French : — 

" You are sublime ! But listen to me : you must 
proceed cautiously with this Jacob ; you must be pru- 
dent, calculating, dignified, and full of tact." 

" Never fear," repHed the daughter, " I remember 
him perfectly. I know his peculiarities, and shall not 
make a false move." 



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212 THE JEW. 

" Be careful when you are near him not to be 
too gay, too witty, too brilliant. Be grave, modest, 
and poetical ; quote much ideal poetry to him ; such 
are the strategetic manoeuvres which will serve you." 

"Do you know, mamma, I have been told that 
he has been already in love?" 

" And with whom? " 

" With Mathilde, or she with him ; it is the same 
thing. I do not know whether this love still exists or 
has vanished." 

"Several years have passed since then. She has 
had time to fade, to grow ugly ; and, furthermore, she 
is married, so that she is no obstacle for us. His 
love for her proves that he is capable of passion. So 
much the better. Now-a-days, men have become 
veritable icebergs. They resist an enchantress like 
you, and let themselves be devoured by the demi- 
monde " — 

"Yes, they do not think of marriage. It is the 
spirit of the age." 

" Jacob, of whom I have heard much from people 
who know him well, is a serious young man, senti- 
mental, pious, and even fanatic. When you are with 
him, you must seem to bear the burden of the suffer- 
ings of two thousand years ; you must sigh, and pretend 
to be full of tender and elegiac poetry." 

"Dear mamma, do I need these lessons?" said 
Muse, a little piqued. 

" No, my child ; but a mother's heart is always full 
of fears. A better match would be difficult to find. 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND, 213 

Use every means to captivate him ; meet him as if by 
chance, and invite him here. He loves music. We 
will give two or three entertainments where we will 
have Kontski and Doprzynski, and you and those 
two singers will make an adorable trio, llien will 
come the supper, when you will be irresistible from 
the charms of your toilet." 

Muse shrugged her shoulders. 

" O mamma," said she, *' leave it all to me ! I 
know well how to play my cards." 

" Listen once more," said Madame Wtorkowska, 
drawing near her daughter, blushing and a little em- 
barrassed. " We will play our part well. Jacob is a 
man of honour, sensitive and conscientious. With 
him, but with him alone, dear Emusia, one can resort 
to extreme measures to force him into the last in- 
trenchments and bind him to us. He is young, 
passionate. It would be very easy to awaken in him 
— you understand me ? I would not advise you to go 
so far with another, but with him it is different." 

" Of course I understand you ; why not? I am no 
longer a child," replied Muse, with an offended air. 
"The means are heroic, but might succeed with a 
perfectly honest man Uke Jacob. There was real 
genius in that idea, mamma." 

The mother blushed at this praise, for the idea ap- 
peared brazen even to herself, coming from a mother 
who should have instructed and guided her daughter. 

" Our desperate situation only has made me sug- 
gest such a thing." 



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214 THE JEW. 

"Why speak of despair? Have we not the 
theatre as a last resort?" 

" To see you an actress ; that would be a great 
sorrow for me." 

" And Malibran, and Pasta, and Schroeder, and 
Grisi, and Sontag, and many others. La Sontag, did 
she not become a countess and ambassadress? " 

" I don't care for that. I do not wish to see you 
on the stage. I would prefer " — 

** Do not fear, mamma." 

" I have already a plan," replied Madame Wtorkow- 
ska calmly. "Jacob dines at the Segels to-day. 
You are a friend of Mathilde*s. She lives near here ; 
dress yourself quickly and go to see her. You can 
feign ignorance of the circumstances. I will not 
accompany you, a servant alone will follow. We 
must take advantage of each favourable moment. To 
arrive at dessert or at coffee will be best. After a 
repast men are in good humour ; you will produce a 
lively impression on Jacob. Modestly dressed and 
not expecting to see company, you must blush, draw 
back, and wish to retire. They will beg you to re- 
main. You will remain. What follows I leave to you." 

Muse rose quickly, like a soldier whom the clarion 
calls to battle, and embraced her mother, who kissed 
her and said : — 

" One more word of advice. Do not put on any 
powder, your complexion does not need it, and he 
might think you had lost your freshness; and how 
will you dress? " 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND. 215 



" In black lace, modestly, poetically. You can de- 
pend on me." 

A half-hour after, while Muse was at her toilet, 
Madame Wtorkowska's eagle eyes at the window saw 
carried from SegeFs kitchen into the dining-room a 
sumptuous roast, then ices ; she ran to her daughter 
and cried ; — 

" Now is the time. Hasten, I beseech you ! " 

Muse was all ready. She might have served for a 
painter's model to represent a contemporaneous elegy ; 
her usually mobile features were changed completely. 
By a profound study before the mirror she had given 
them an expression of sweet melancholy. She was 
enchanting; with an infinite art she concealed art, 
and seemed natural, and no one would have imagined 
she was playing a false role. 

Women attract and conquer men sometimes by 
gayety of spirit, and sometimes by a mystical re- 
serve; nothing awakens ardour in a man more 
than an enigma to solve. When he has arrived 
at the last page of that book called woman, it is nec- 
essary that she be a marvellous masterpiece for him to 
commence the reading with the same interest as 
before. 

Muse was a living sphinx with such an attractive 
and finished beauty that it would have been difficult 
for the most clever observer to discover the least de- 
fect in her person, either physically or morally. 

She wore a black lace dress, light and negligee ; 
for ornaments, a coral bracelet and brooch ; nothing 



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2i6 THE JEW. 

more save a white handkerchief and a flower in her 
hand. To her mother, even, she appeared in a 
light so new as to draw from her enthusiastic excla- 
mations : — 

" Oh, my Ophelia ! You are charming ! " 

Muse smiled proudly, kissed her mother, and with 
a calm and composed mien left the house as if to 
keep an engagement, and not to engage in a struggle 
where her object was to capture a man's heart. Her 
heart had never yet spoken ; it surprised her that men 
in general were so little susceptible to passionate love, 
and that she herself had never felt this emotion. Her 
feelings were in her head, and if at times her brain 
had been inflamed, this flame had never descended to 
the heart. Love, as she dreamed of it, presented it- 
self to her imagination covered with silk and diamonds 
in a superb salon^ amid a royal court. 

Did her heart beat on the way ? Her black dress 
could alone tell us, but her face did not reveal a single 
sign of inquietude. The chronological reckoning of 
Madame Wtorkowska had been so exact, that Muse ar- 
rived just at the moment when they were taking coffee, 
and, as the piano was opposite the door, Mathilde saw 
her enter and then draw back as if to go. She arose 
at once and ran to her, and drew her into the room. 
Jacob was near her, but she passed him without recog- 
nition. 

" But this is Monsieur Jacob, an old acquaintance 
of yours," said Mathilde. 

" Ah, really ! He has returned from his travels, 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND. 217 

then. How he has changed ! I should never have 
recognized him. I am charmed to see him again.'* 

The first step was of great importance. She ap- 
peared at first to be altogether indifferent ; she played 
her first lines admirably. As for Jacob, he felt no 
emotion whatever. There exist in some men certain 
instincts which warn them, if they are not under the 
empire of a brutal passion, to avoid danger. Beauti- 
ful as she was. Muse did net attract him. Her beauty 
was for him like that of a statue or a lovely picture, 
no more. 

She had more success with the group of men who 
were drinking coffee. They all praised her beauty. 
Henri alone dared not openly express his admiration, 
for fear of being heard by his wife. 

" Delicious girl ! " said Mann. "A dainty enough 
morsel for a king ! " 

" A morsel for a king ! " added Simon ; " but one 
must have golden teeth to chew it." 

Mathilde's father, a great admirer of women, re- 
marked in a low voice : — 

" My word for it, she is well worth a thousand 
ducats ! " 

"Oh, much more ! " cried Mann. 

''Wait, gentlemen," added Simon; "put off the 
sale until after the marriage." 

" How clever those women are," said Mann. 
" Madame Wtorkowska is not worth a sou, and look 
how they dress, how they live." 

" I suspect the object of this visit," whispered 



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2l8 THE JEW. 

Simon. " It is a chase organized against Jacob. I 
pity him if he falls into their hands." 

While they were talking, Muse drew near the piano 
and looked at the music before Mathilde. It was a 
composition of Schumann's, and as Jacob was near 
her she asked him : — 

" Do you remember our promenades with Mathilde ? 
Are you as serious as ever ? " 

" Always the same, mademoiselle, with the differ- 
ence, perhaps, that age has augmented my failing." 

During this conversation Mathilde felt her heart 
beat violently. Father Simon made from afar some 
warning gestures, and finished by approaching the 
piano. Muse greeted him coldly as an enemy, but 
just then some one asked her to play something. 

" With pleasure," said she ; " I love music, and I 
never refuse to play. Above all, I love Schumann 
the best." 

She executed one of those fantastic reveries where 
grief gushes out in poignant notes like drops of 
blood. 

She played admirably and with much expression. 
An actress even in music, she expressed ravishingly 
the sentiments which she could not feel. 

She was warmly applauded. Mathilde, who was 
herself an excellent musician, found new food for 
thought in this manner of interpreting a composition 
that she loved. Jacob praised, but coldly. Father 
Simon took him by the arm and drew him aside. 

" Do you know Muse ? " asked he. 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND. 



219 



"Yes, I used to see her often." 

" Do you know the mother? " 

"Very little." 

"Then learn that they are two very dangerous 
women. The daughter, reared in luxury, without be- 
ing worth a sou, seeks a rich husband. Take care of 
yourself. They will catch you, if possible. They are 
setting their cap for you already." 

" Why, I have only just arrived ! " 

" The mothers of these days have such a scent that 
they smell from afar the marriageable young men. 
Take care of yourself. This Muse is enchantingly 
beautiful and versed in all deceit." 

" Very beautiful women do not please me." 

" She can make herself anything you wish, for she 
can divine your thoughts." 

Seated by the mistress of the house, Muse turned 
her head. She immediately understood that Simon 
was acting the part of Mentor to the young Telema- 
chus, and called to him familiarly ; — 

" I have a favour to ask of you. Monsieur Simon, 
and I feel that I am very fortunate to meet you 
here." 

"A favour! Of me?" 

" Yes, monsieur, on the part of my mother. She 
dotes on your witty repartees and wishes to see you 
sometimes in her salon^ if you will so honour us." 

She had counted on gaining Father Simon over by 
her seductive flattery, but the old rogue only bowed 
courteously, smiled maliciously, and withdrew hastily 



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220 T^E- JRIV- 

to the other side of the room. He went up to Jacob 
and whispered : — 

"She has been trying to bum me with incense 
right under my very nose. What a siren ! To avoid 
her snares, stuff your ears with cotton, shut your eyes, 
and save yourself." 

" For me," said Jacob, " there are neither sirens 
nor witches." 

"There have been, however, many more than 
those in the Odyssey." 

Muse knew better than to show too much interest 
in the man she was seeking to ensnare. She had 
Mathilde ask him to tell them something of his 
travels. Thanks to this diplomatic stratagem, Jacob 
joined them, and engaged in a lively conversation. 

She saw that he was absorbed in Mathilde, and felt 
that he did not listen to her. Finding further efforts 
useless she arose to take leave. With a cold and po- 
lite tone she said to the young man only, that she 
would be happy to see him at her home, as if it was 
out of compliment to her friend. 

" Man of ice," thought she, " in vain you seek to 
escape me. I shall subdue you. You will belong to 
me. Then we will square our account." 

She left the room modestly, almost timidly, Ma- 
dame Segel conducting her to the door. When she 
returned she said to Jacob : — 

" Well, how did you like her ? " 

"She is wonderfully beautiful, but there is also 
something disagreeable about her." 



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^'SBAND, 223 
THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAi^.^ 

- they 

Some of them protested. *»s 

"She is the least natural woman I have ever met," 
said Jacob. " My ideal is a true and sincere woman." 

Mathilde fell into a revery. During this time Henri 
had escorted Muse to the street. It was easily seen 
by his sparkling eyes that this pearl pleased him. On 
her part Mademoiselle Muse found Segel to her taste 
also, but she could not compromise herself with a mar- 
ried man while she sought a husband. Otherwise 
these two souls were s)anpathetic, and seemed created 
for each other. Henri's last glance was so ardent, 
that it almost compensated Muse for Jacob's coldness. 

Her mother impatientiy awaited the result of this 
first attack. 

" You have seen him? " asked she. 

"Yes." 

"Well?" 

" Preludes, as you have often said yourself, dear 
mamma, are always tiresome. I played for him one 
of Schumann's £mtasies as I never played it before ; I 
felt inspired ; I showed myself at the same time be- 
witching and indifferent. I threw him furtive glances, 
neither toa ardent nor too cold. By slow and insid- 
ious steps, by proceeding with much caution I can 
put him off his guard and takf him captive. I am 
sure of him, I think." 

" Then you do not think it will be an easy mat- 
ter?" 

" No, probably not. He has something else on 
his mind." 



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220 



THE JEW, 



'* And can you not by your magic art draw from 
him that which is rooted in his heart? " 

" I will try, but it is a difficult part to play." 

" I am chagrined to see you doubtful of success so 
soon." 

" Oh, if I absolutely will it, I can succeed ! But I 
shall be obliged to compromise myself. Not in the 
way you suggested this morning, however. It will 
suffice to expose myself in the eyes of the world. For 
the rest, that which Count Alfred said of the chase 
applies perfectly to my situation. It is not necessary 
to make any plans in advance to draw on the game. 
The plan will develop when the time comes. But I 
have some news for you. Henri is desperately in 
love with me." 

"What Henri?" 

"Our neighbour, Segel." 

"What, has he dared?" 

" If you could have seen him squeeze my hand ; if 
you could have heard him sigh when he escorted me 
to the street ! Oh, it was droll ! " 

" Unfortunately, he is married." 

" Yes, but Mathilde has a bad cough. They say that 
her lungs are affected. She is not yet twenty-five 
years old ; at that age phthisis is fatal. But may God 
preserve her ! " 

" You are truly a genius ! Your foresight is admi- 
rable. If we could keep him in reserve it would not 
be bad; however, I prefer Jacob. Men of Henri's 
calibre never become seriously in love. Their senti- 



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THE PURSUIT OF A HUSBAND, 



223 



ment is not love, it is passion. Every year they 

change their mistress. It is the theatre that furnishes 

them." 

" Bah ! That is the custom now-a-days ! " 

" Believe me, you had better hold Jacob. There is 

something horrible about counting on a death." 
" I will do all I can to satisfy you. I am very sorry 

for poor Mathilde, yet one can see death in her 

eyes." 

" Do not think of her, then ; thinterather of Jacob." 
" We will see. As for me, I like Henri better." 
The mother frowned and said no more. 



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224 ^^^ ^^^• 



CHAPTER XL 

A POLITICAL MEETING. 

The same evening Jacob set out to seek a friend of 
Ivas, who had been his comrade at the university, and 
had become a very important person in the present 
agitation. This man, a modest employ^ of the gov- 
ernment, exercised a powerful influence on the young 
men and in circles where politics were the order of 
the day. He possessed superior intelligence, rare 
executive ability, great energy and activity, and his 
character was at the same time pliant and firm. With- 
out being leader of any party, he went from one to 
another, and the timid as well as the bold bowed 
everywhere to his incontestable authority. Yet no 
one could have said that Kruder — that was his name 
— belonged to the fire-eaters, to the liberals, or to the 
conservatives, nor if he was red, blue, or white. 

With the excited he was all fire and flame ; with 
the cool reasoners he was calm and logical ; with the 
prudent and timorous he was full of discretion and 
consideration. 

All listened to his objections ; all followed his coun- 
sels. He knew how to smooth all difficulties, conceal 
divergences, and to lead to the same end contradictory 
views. 



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A POLITICAL MEETING, 



225 



Amid such diversity of opinions he alone could 
maintain order, and command sufficient confidence to 
subject all differences of opinion to discipline, in ad- 
vance of the coming revolution ; for to do this was his 
ambition, his only ambition. 

He had friends in both camps ; these precipitated 
the movement, those retarded it. His intimate rela- 
tions with both parties put him in the way of hearing 
the opinions and knowing the situation thoroughly. 
Nothing could happen without his cognizance. In his 
work of centralization it was important to be well in- 
formed, so as to prevent errors, or to correct them as 
well as he could. 

To attract less notice and to more easily escape 
suspicion, Kruder inhabited an unfrequented neigh- 
bourhood. He usually remained at home until ten in 
the morning, the hour at which he went to his office. 
When he had finished his government work, he com- 
menced his active and errant life, and this was pro- 
longed late into the night. If he had to meet any 
one, he made an appointment, sometimes at a cafi^ 
sometimes in a friend's house. To meet him, Jacob 
went to the dwelling of a young Jew, Bartold by 
name, the proprietor of a manufactory and a hard- 
ware merchant. His placce was full of visitors every 
day, a fact which could be easily explained by the im- 
portance of his business. 

Well brought up and honest, he was not, however, a 
believer like Jacob. In religious matters he was sat- 
isfied to select the morals and repudiate the dogmas. 



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226 THE JEW, 

but yet he proclaimed himself a Jew with a certain 
boastfulness. It pleased him to say : "If the Eu- 
ropean aristocracy are proud of tracing their origin 
back to the Crusades, I ought to be very proud of 
mine, which goes back much farther. I am a descend- 
ant of the tribe of Levi. That takes the place of 
arms or crests. My ancestors guarded the Ark of the 
Covenant in Solomon's temple ; it is, at least, as great 
an honour as to have fought with the Saracens." 

Public agitation naturally increased the number of 
visitors at Bartold's, and he had put at their disposal 
two large rooms •of his house. It was a neutral 
ground for political discussions. It was a place of re- 
union sheltered from the police. Bartold took a great 
interest in these meetings, for, in spite of his Israelitish 
genealogy, he was a Pole at heart. He was thirty 
years old, tall, muscular, and well formed. His eyes 
shone with more than ordinary intelligence. His 
manner disclosed the serenity of an honest man who 
followed the right path, and whose conscience was 
clear. He loved to laugh and to joke, but under all 
this he concealed a warm, humane, and charitable 
heart. He received Jacob with cries of joy and open 
arms. 

"You could not have come to us," cried he, "in a 
more opportune moment. You come to advise with 
us, do you not?" 

With Bartold and Kruder there was a young Pole 
belonging to the most advanced party of patriotic 
enthusiasm. 



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A POLITICAL MEETING. 



227 



Kruder took his hat to go, but Jacob detained him. 

"Pardon, monsieur," said he; "will you wait a 
moment? I have come to seek you here, I have 
something to tell you." 

" If it is not a personal affair you can speak freely 
before these gentlemen. We are all friends here." 

" Do you know Ivas? " asked the Jew abruptly. 

" I know him well. He was with me at the uni- 
versity at Kief. What has become of him? Have 
you met him anywhere? " 

"Yes, in Italy. I brought him with me to the 
Polish frontier." 

" And where is he at present ? " 

"In a hiding-place that I found for him, but he 
insists on coming to Warsaw. I fear that would be 
dangerous for him. They are seeking him, and his 
description is known." • 

" I do not agree with you. He had few acquain- 
tances^ and after some years of absence he must 
have changed enough not to be recognized. We 
could easily find an asylum for him here where he 
could escape the police. It would be prudent, how- 
ever, for him to secure a communal passport." 

" May he soon join us," said the young man of the 
extreme party. " He will be very useful to our 
cause. We will undertake to conceal him. I have 
often heard of him; he belongs to the Lithuanian 
provinces. Nothing could be better. We will send 
him there to make converts to our cause. What can 
we do to l)ring him here? " 



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228 THE JEW, 

" And,'* asked KLruder, looking at Jacob, " what are 
Ivas' feelings ? You see that here we are all fire, all 
flame." 

" I fear he has too much fire," said Jacob. " Dele- 
terious fire, alas I This flame is, to my mind, the flame 
of despair. It will drive men to unreasonable acts." 

" Behold a cautious man ! " cried the young Pole, 
paling with wrath ; " the sentiments of your race can 
be expressed in two words, — self-interest and logic. 
We Poles, on the contrary, are led by what you call 
folly. Is heroism folly? Then it will be by folly 
that we shall triumph." 

" I am not," replied Jacob, " an exclusive partisan 
of cold reason. Logic leads one astray at times. In 
a question of life or death for the country's salvation 
we should not depend entirely on cold reasoning, nor 
wholly on enthusiasm. Reasoners and enthusiasts 
are equally at fault, are both on the wrong path." 

"Would you, then, have a mixture of folly and 
reason?" 

" Precisely. And I wish it for the common good. 
In it you will find the veritable national instinct." 

" No, no ! Popular opinion aspires to a revolution 
which will accomplish our deliverance." 

" The revolutionary agitation is only at the surface," 
said Jacob. " In the bottom of all hearts there are 
forebodings of the evils which may arise from a pre- 
mature explosion." 

" If such are your opinions, I present you my 
compliments, and I salute you." 



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A POLITICAL MEETING. 



229 



" Wilk," interrupted Kruder, " do not allow your- 
self to become so angry." 

"Why does he irritate me, then?" replied the 
young enthusiast, a little appeased. 

" However, I withdraw my brusque adieu and will 
remain." 

" Be seated, gentlemen," said Bartold. " We are go- 
ing to serve tea, and you, Kruder, you must not go yet." 

" I am expected at ten meetings." 

" You can shirk five of them." 

" I cannot, however, miss my interview with Count 
A. Z., nor the meeting of the Agricultural Society, 
nor the University debate, nor the Association for 
Popular Publications, nor" — 

" You are verily a much-sought-for man, but, if 
I were you, I would throw from my shoulders a good 
half of these burdens; childish bluster, rhetorical 
competitions, a war of words of patriotic agitation, 
behold to what you are invited ! You wish to direct 
everything and everybody ; take care that you do not 
become a blunted tool in the end." 

Kruder shook his head as if to say, " It will never 
be." But at heart he felt that in his friend's warn- 
ing he had something to fear. 

After a general conversation he left the room with 
Wilk, and they talked over the measures necessary 
to secure Ivas' safety. 

Alone, Jacob and Bartold embraced warmly, for 
they loved each other like brothers, despite the ration- 
alism of the one and the piety of the other. 



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230 THE JEW, 

They had an animated discussion on the situation 
of the Jews in Poland and throughout the world. 
Jacob, as was his custom, spoke at length on the 
apostleship he intended undertaking. 

"You will lose your time and your efforts," said 
Bartold ; " the era of religious convictions is passed. 
We live in an age of reason, where it is useless to 
wish to resuscitate the beliefs of antiquity and of the 
Middle Ages. The structures which sheltered the 
wings of the cherubim have crumbled away and can 
never be raised." 

Jacob listened attentively, but his convictions were 
not shaken. He was persuaded of the necessity of a 
reform in Judaism that should reestablish the authority 
of the Mosaic law. 



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A SIREN'. 



ZZl 



CHAPTER XII. 

A SIREN. 

After some weeks of sojourn at Warsaw Jacob met 
in the street Luci Coloni, accompanied by Gromof, 
her Russian cavalier of the grotto at Sestri. He was 
hastening to salute them, when he perceived that the 
lady and her companion turned as if to avoid him. 
Why this myster}'? Jacob was puzzled, and paused 
on his way. 

Ivas' affairs were soon arranged ; it was no longer 
necessary to watch over him, and, freed from that 
anxiety, he dreamed of commencing his Judaic re- 
form. He realized that he had two formidable obsta- 
cles to encounter, — on one side indifference, on the 
other, superstition. The superstitious would regard 
him as an atheist, the indifferent, as a bigoted 
fanatic. 

Discouraged for the moment, as almost all reform- 
ers have been, he sought to regain his former enthu- 
siasm by reading the Bible and the Talmud. To this 
end he shut himself up for several days, and came out 
determined to make converts, not among the old, 
whose convictions were settled, but among the youth, 
who were still animated with noble instincts. These it 
was whose opinion he would strive to form, Weary 



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332 THE JEW. 

with his long meditations he was going out to walk in 
the fresh air, when he was handed a note from 
Madame Wtorko>^'ska, written on satin paper, the con- 
tents of which were as follows : — 

We shall be very happy to see M. Jacob at our house this 
evening. There will be a few friends and a little mnsic. 

Benigna Wtorkowska. 

Jacob was not in the humour to accept, but he re- 
flected that it would be impolite to refuse, and that 
perhaps he might meet Mathilde there, so he accepted 
the invitation. 

The little villa occupied by the Wtorkowskas was 
a masterpiece of that modem art which transforms 
real misery into lying luxury. Nothing had been paid 
for, from the servants* livery to the satin robe worn 
by the hostess, and the lace-covered velvet dress of 
the charming daughter. 

The refreshments, the bonbons, the flowers, were 
all obtained on credit. Twice a week Hermann and 
Grossmann demanded the money for the Pleyel grand 
piano, but in vain. The shabbiness of the furniture 
was concealed by new covers, the broken places in 
the frames of the pictures and mirrors were twined 
with ivy. 

With all these frauds and ruses the littie house, seen 
by the light of innumerable wax candles, took on an air 
of freshness and elegance. The studied disorder of 
objects thrown carelessly on the table was the result 
of long thought. Here, a French romance was dis- 



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A SIREN. 233 

played, to show acquaintance with current literature \ 
there, pieces of classical music, to show the degree of 
perfection arrived at by the fair performer. On one 
side lay a photograph album containing portraits of 
celebrated men, implying a personal acquaintance 
with them. 

Jacob arrived a little late. The company was too 
numerous for the salon, and the room was crowded. 
The guests occupied the couches and chairs, and 
some remained standing against the wall. There was 
heat and noise, and to move about demanded much 
skiU. 

Madame Wtorkowska received Jacob with studied 
politeness. Muse advanced toward him with a smile 
which she had practised before the glass. She led 
him to a little group where Mathilde was seated. 
Madame Segel wore a white robe, and on her breast 
was a large bmich of camellias of the same colour. 
She was pale ; on the approach of Jacob she lifted 
her head, and greeted him with a slight blush and a 
melancholy smile. 

After that the poor woman relapsed into a glacial 
torpor. Henri stood behind the chair of Mademoiselle 
Muse, whose toilet was so decollete that all admirers 
of certain feminine charms could feast their eyes to 
their hearts' content. Her thick and glossy braids 
were twined around her head in classic style, and 
served admirably to bring out the splendour of her 
eyes and complexion. She had the lively and brilliant 
expression of a lioness seeking whom she might devour. 



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234 ^-^^ y^^' 

Her crimson velvet dress, covered with costly lace, 
bought on credit, became her admirably, and gave her 
a queenly air. On her lovely arm sparkled a large 
bracelet set with rubies. 

Mathilde resembled an aerial spirit descended in a 
cloud of moonlit rays; Muse, a bacchante^ full of 
sensuous vitality. 

Henri whispered in Jacob's ear : — 

" If I were free like you, I would not hesitate an 
instant ; I would propose to this siren." 

" And if I were in your place, and had such a wife 
as you have, I would not even look at her," said 
Jacob coldly. 

Segel smiled ironically, pushed back his black hair 
from his forehead, and drew near Muse. 

" Can you guess, mademoiselle," asked he in a low 
voice, "what advice I have just been giving Jacob?" 

The charmer replied sweetly in an indifferent tone, 
although she perfectly understood what had passed 
between the two men. 

" How can I guess, monsieur? " 

" I advised him to fall in love with you." 

" What bad advice ! " 

"Why?" 

" Because I can never love any^ one." 

"No one?" asked Henri tenderly. 

" You have said it. I consider love as a dangerous 
malady, against which one should be on guard." 

" A malady rarely fatal," said Henri smiling. 

" No matter; I am afraid of it," 



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A SIHEN, 



235 



" A bad §ign. It is said that there is much more 
danger of taking typhus or cholera when one fears it. 
It is a bad omen ! Jacob " — 

" Why, monsieur, why do you speak to me of this 
philosopher, this savant ? " 

" Hardly a philosopher : a mystic, a fanatic." 

"Who flies from me," said Muse. "Help me, 
then, to tame him a little. I would like to talk with 
this savage." 

" What would I not do for you, mademoiselle ? I 
will bring him to your feet, be sure of that."* 

"You wish to marry him," thought Henri. " I will 
assist you, but I will claim my reward." 

The treaty was concluded without further discus- 
sion, without protocol, between these two congenial 
spirits. Segel, wishing to hasten the execution, went 
to Jacob. He took his arm and said : — 

" Come, then, to the divine Muse, who wishes to 
talk with you about Italy, with which her imagination 
is full." 

" I fear I am not capable of doing justice to the 
subject," said Jacob. 

" No matter. Come and try." So saying, he led 
him towards her, almost by force. 

" This Jacob," said he to Muse, " is the most 
conscientious of tourists ; he has travelled over Italy 
on foot while I went by the railway. He can tell you 
about it a hundred times better than I. He can 
speak to you of that land of art of which you have 
dreamed." 



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236 THE JEW. 

Muse, all smiles, turned to Jacob and said : — 

'* At last, monsieur, I have caught you, whether you 
will or not ; you must tell me of that Italy where I 
am always begging mamma to take me." 

" I regret very much not to be enough master of 
my subject to give you a just idea of that beautiful 
land. It is not sufficient merely to have visited it, one 
must have lived there to fully appreciate its beauties." 

" Pardon me, but I do not agree with you. Travel- 
lers often know more of a country than its inhabi- 
tants." 

" Superficially, yes ; but the spirit, the soul of a 
country, only reveals itself after long study." 

" Italy is delightful, is it not ? " 

This question was not a skilful one. But it was 
necessary to get Jacob started on some subject, 
so that she could exercise all the feminine seduc- 
tions of a determined woman, resolved to succeed, 
and employ all the resources of her consummate 
art, aided by her natural charms. What an actress 
she was ! An actress in every glance, every move- 
ment, even in the inflexions of her voice ! She 
spoke feelingly without the least inner emotion ; she 
spoke of feelings of which she only knew from hear- 
say. Judging all men more or less vain, she sought 
by delicate flattery to fascinate and subjugate them. 
By turns lively or melancholy, sensible or careless, she 
was charming under all circumstances. 

However, she made no impression on Jacob, who 
remained cold and impassible. As if to alleviate his 



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A SIREN, 



m 



enforced captivity, he at times glanced at the chaste 
and pure woman who was seated not far from him 
absorbed in melancholy, and who seemed to him like 
an ideal queen covered with a saintly aureola. 

Muse was exasperated by Jacob's invulnerable in- 
difference, but desired more than ever to bring him 
to her feet. She let her evident efforts to enslave 
him be seen. Her mother surveyed the manoeuvres 
of her daughter, which she found too bold, although 
she could not help admiring the audacity with which 
the attack was made. 

Jacob was obliged, at the request of Muse, to 
conduct her to the piano. She took off her gloves 
slowly, and, coquettishly, radiant, continued her con- 
versation in a low voice, so as to give the idea that a 
sort of intimacy was established between them. 

" My dear," remarked Madame N. to Madame X., 
'' Emusia is conducting herself in a scandalous 
manner." 

" Bah ! Young ladies of her stamp always succeed 
in their matrimonial pursuits." 

Just then the mistress of the house came to them, 
and Madame X. said : — 

"We have just been speaking of your charming 
daughter. She is really enchanting this evening. 
Madame N. and I cannot take our eyes off her. She 
turns the head of every one, — even the old." 

"My Emusia," replied Madame Wtorkowska, "is 
all simplicity, all candour, although sometimes her very 
simplicity and frankness look like coquetry." 



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238 THE JEW, 

At this reply from the mother, her two guests ex- 
changed glances behind her back. 

" Why, she has taken Jacob by storm," cried his 
former guardian to Mann. " This Muse outdoes her- 
self on his account. She did not trouble herself to 
amuse him before he got his fortune. It was not worth 
while to notice the poor beggar for whose education I 
paid." 

" The Berlin banker's legacy has made him a de- 
sirable match. She will finish by capturing him," said 
Mann. 

" I don't believe it, for I know my Jacob. He is 
not at ease in her society. You cannot catch all fish 
with the same hook. My son-in-law, Henri, would 
have taken the bait immediately. Jacob is afraid of 
her. He likes quiet women who are modest and 
timid. He is a poet." 

" Certainly the creature is far from that, and I con- 
gratulate the man who " — 

Mann did not finish his remark, for suddenly the 
music ceased. Jacob was free from the chains of 
courtesy. He seated himself near Mathilde, who re- 
ceived him with a smile. 

The pale moonlight streamed in from the windows 
which opened on the veranda, and the light was soft- 
ened by the leaves of the wild vines, which, with their 
long serpentine clusters, climbed over ever)^hing. 

They both wished to fly from this crowd, both 
wished to be alone ; but to put this project into execu- 
tion was not easy. 



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A SIREN, 



239 



Again Muse played, and under her skilful fingers 
the notes wept, groaned, sang, murmured, and sighed. 
It was Liszt's music. Every one was enchanted. 

" She is wonderful," said Mathilde. " As for my- 
self, when I have been a half-hour at the piano I am 
fatigued. It seems to me that my tired soul flies 
away with the sounds. But what power she has ! She 
laughs at difficulties, and rises even fresher and more 
radiant." 

" It is there, truly, that one finds the difference be- 
tween her playing and yours. You put your soul into 
it. Her playing does not affect me at all. It is as if 
the piano played alone. With you, the soul sings to 
me." 

" No, she is a true artiste. I am only a musician." 

" I cannot admire the artists of the present day. 
They are but the masters of their art, skilled work- 
men who know all the tricks of their trade. The 
shepherd who by inspiration plays on his bagpipe a 
simple air, be it very simple, very primitive, is much 
more an artist than this or that fashionable performer. 
Like everything else, art has been profaned in these 
days ; it has become mercenary ; it is a bread-winner, 
and not a priesthood. The artist of to-day strives for 
the fame that pays best, and not for the contentment 
of his soul. Who, then, now-a-days would paint fres- 
coes for nothing but piety and for the love of God ? 
Music, literature, painting, all at present go to the 
highest bidder. Muse belongs to the modern school. 
She has art, but art without soul. She plays Liszt and 



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240 THE JEW, 

Walberg, but Chopin is inaccessible to her. She 
seizes the bizarre side of Schumann, but the pathetic 
side, never ! " 

"You judge her a little too severely. There is in 
the depths of her heart a little divine light, on her 
brow a little flame. But, alas ! the unfortunates are 
not sure of to-morrow's bread, and I cannot help re- 
garding with pity this woman and her daughter, for I 
know their situation." 

" Are they not rich? " 

" No ! They are poor, very poor, though they 
affect riches." 

" This is frightful. This comedy of luxury is 
odious. The tears of dupes will pay for it. Indi- 
gence with courageous labour is a hundred times to 
be admired." 

" It is true, but false pride " — 

" That word tells all ; it is real deceit." 

"She pains me," said Mathilde. "Under the vel- 
vet there must be tears and anxiety; at the door 
poverty waits while they serve a sumptuous repast ; 
to-morrow, solitude after the brilliant reunion of 
to-day. What a tragedy ! It pains me even to think 
of it." 

Muse ceased to play. 

Every one applauded, and Henri hastened to kiss 
the artiste's hand. Mathilde, who was stifling in this 
atmosphere, said to Jacob, — 

" Let us go out a moment and get some fresh air. 
No one will miss us. I cannot breathe." 



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A SIREN, 



241 



They passed through the crowd and reached the 
veranda. Muse followed them with her eyes, and 
turned ironically upon Henri. 

" I see," replied he to the mute question, " that 
my wife was too warm. She has gone out on the 
veranda with Jacob." 

" Then you are not jealous? " 

" Near you, mademoiselle, I think of you alone." 

" You have no right to talk thus." 

" Do you not know that that which is illegal is 
most attractive to men?" 

" You are perversity in person ! " 

" Alas ! a god would succumb before you, how 
much more a simple mortal." 

" Truly, monsieur, you flatter me." 

" No, mademoiselle, I assure you." 

Then he spoke to her in a low voice with much 
familiarity, and with a perfect understanding. 

When Mathilde left the salon she gave her hand 
to Jacob at the threshold. 

" What is the matter, my child? " said he tenderly. 

" I feel very happy," said she ; " I know not why, 
and very calm. I desire nothing. It seems as if my 
Hfe were slipping away little by little. You are by 
my side ; I am sure of your affection. What further 
happiness can I have? " 

" There would be very few who would be satisfied 
with a chaste love like ours. When I observe in the 
world the different personalities, different characters, 
I think, mademoiselle " — 



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242 THE JEW. 

" Why do you call me mademoiselle ? " 

" I think, I say, that there are in each human 
being two powers who are antagonistic, like God and 
Satan. The contrasts are often striking. For exam- 
ple, you and Muse." 

" Do not judge her so harshly ; you should be in- 
dulgent to all." 

" Very well. Who, then, are pure and innocent in 
the depths of their souls around us ? Life is short. 
Every one must taste the bitter cup. Every one has 
his troubles, and most men, instead of seeking hap- 
piness in their own souls, seek it elsewhere and find it 
not. The world terrifies me with its variety of ele- 
ments where evil predominates over good. I cannot 
understand this predominance of evil." 

" That is one of God*s secrets, incomprehensible to 
our finite intelligence. What good will it do us to try, 
like the Titans, by force to pierce the closed heavens? 
Man seems to be the plaything of an implacable 
irony. He bears within him the sparks of an ardent 
fire, but he does not succeed in developing a large 
flame, for the wind of his passions scatters the fire- 
brands. In his heart exist noble sentiments which 
are changed into gross appetite. Man grows more 
corrupt instead of purer. All is surprise in life ; all 
an enigma. Then this dream of immortality and a 
future existence. Can we believe it? " 

She smiled sadly, and Jacob listened. Under their 
eyes lay a superb view. A light breeze murmured 
through the dark foliage of the old trees in the ave- 



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A SIREN. 



243 



nue. In the sky, the moon glided through the deep 
azure, and the stars twinkled as if to shake slumber 
from their eyelids. In the distance could be heard 
the faint sound of the city. 

"In contemplating creation," said Jacob, "do you 
not hear something within you say that we shall live 
beyond the tomb? That thought should destroy all 
fear for the future. Even if thousands of years of 
faith do not confirm this hope, it shines in the reply 
of the soul like stars in the depths of a well.'* 

" It is impossible," said Mathilde. " In any case, 
the other life will not be like this. My future will 
not be a continuation of this miserable existence. 
Perhaps I shall come again to live on earth. Oh, 
who knows an)rthing about it? " 

"This death, so terrible to most of us, is repre- 
sented in our Hebrew books as a sweet, an easy, pas- 
sage to another existence. The Talmud, Berakhot 5, 
calls it the kiss of God." 

" How sorry I am not to have read those books, 
and to know so little of the Hebrew language ! I have 
been educated for the world. My soul has not been 
nourished. The tempest of doubt has overthrown it." 

"There is yet time, dear Mathilde." 

"No, it is too late. Faith is the beverage of 
youthful souls. When unbelief is developed, the 
ground is dried up and a new graft cannot shoot 
forth. But God is full of mercy and pity. He will 
not punish us when we are not in fault. He will 
make allowances for our education." 



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244 ^^^ y^^' 

They were silent, but had no desire to return to 
the salon f where Muse, at the piano, was playing one 
of Liszt's most brilliant compositions. 

" Come, Jacob," said Mathilde, " you must do your 
duty. Go and compliment Muse. I will not be 
jealous. She is on the wrong path ; you can convert 
and save her." 

" It is too late ; that which you falsely said about 
yourself applies to her. Her intelligence and her 
heart have matured, and her character is already 
formed." 

They entered the salon, Mathilde's first glance 
showed her husband leaning on the back of Muse's 
chair, and his tender glances told that he was very 
much impressed. She did not feel the slightest cha- 
grin. She was completely indifferent to Henri, and 
she rejoiced to think that he amused himself else- 
where, provided he spared her all importunate tender- 
ness. 

Madame Wtorkowska was very nervous ; she feared 
that the entertainment would not lead to the de- 
sired results. Jacob seemed absolutely indifferent 
to her daughter's charms; as for the other young 
men, they all admired her, but at a distance ; and the 
marked attentions of Henri Segel displeased her be- 
cause they came from a married man. With music, 
singing, cards, tea, and supper, the soiree was pro- 
longed to a late hour. The elder guests took leave un- 
der pretext of engagements in the morning. Mathilde 
went home, as she had a headache, and left the field 



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A SIREN, 



245 



free to her husband. Jacob had accompanied her to 
her door, and had received his orders to return. This 
thinning out of the rooms favoured the charmer's plans. 

The young man carelessly turned the leaves of an 
album; his conduct during the evening had strictly 
conformed to the rules of politeness. Yet this cold 
observation of the proprieties exasperated Madame 
Wtorkowska, who resolved to undertake his subjuga- 
tion herself. She drew near him, and, as Jacob rose 
to give her his seat she said, taking his arm : — 

" Monsieur, let us walk a little, and tell me about 
yourself. Now that you have returned to us, what 
do you intend to do? " 

Surprised by these attentions, he replied : — 

" I intend to study and lead a life of leisure. " 

" We have heard so much in your praise," said she, 
" that we were very desirous of knowing you." 

" I am infinitely obliged, madame." 

"Especially, Emusia. She admires such men." 

She could not find an adjective to designate exactly 
what kind of men, and added after a moment of 
hesitation : — 

" 1 mean superior men. For, you see, my Emu- 
sia is a young girl of talent. What intelligence, what 
gifts ! She devours an incredible quantity of books. 
Her memory is prodigious. Her wit is of the finest 
quality. In short, if she were not my daughter I 
would say that she is a marvel." 

"That is what I hear fi-om every one," said Jacob 
politely. 



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246 THE JEW, 

" My situation," continued she, " is an anxious one, 
for I have a mother's heart. To whom will my 
cherished one give herself? Will he appreciate her? 
Alas, the young men of to-day are so frivolous ! " 

" Mademoiselle Emusia has but to choose." 

" How little you know the young men, monsieur ! " 

For want of breath the mother stopped. She had 
commenced the battle with so much impetuosity that 
she was already worn out. She could think of nothing 
more to say. She was driven to her last intrench- 
ments, and, on his side, Jacob had exhausted all his 
praises. Notwithstanding, after a moment of reflec- 
tion she took breath and continued : — 

" You, who are so great a connoisseur, what do you 
think of Emusia's playing? " 

" It is truly marvellous, madame." 

" Liszt, the master, was stupefied with astonishment 
when my daughter played for him his overture to 
Guillautne Otello. He watched her execute this, that, 
all the most difficult parts, and was wild with enthu- 
siasm. It was at Spa. There was such clapping of 
hands, bravos that almost shook the house, an ava- 
lanche of bouquets ! What an ovation, mon Dieu ! " 

" It was merited, no doubt." 

"Oh, yes," said the mother. "An Erard piano 
fairly spoke under her fingers. She has such strength 
and incredible power." 

She was thus extolling her daughter when the yotmg 
lady herself came to join in the conversation. Her 
eyes shone wrathfully. The more invulnerable Jacob 



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A SIREN. 



247 



showed himself, the more she was determined to 
bring him to her feet. Henri had given her the key 
to the character of this man, whom he called a 
religious fanatic. She resolved to read and study the 
Bible, and even the Talmud, if necessary. Already 
she commenced to play her new r61e. 

" I detest these noisy pleasures," said she. " Read- 
ing, meditation, quiet, they are the things that I 
love. And you?" 

" I also love study and tranquillity," said Jacob. 

" You men," said Muse, " have everything in your 
favour. You can, at your "pleasure, devote yourselves 
to intellectual occupations ; you are not slaves to the 
obligations of society, as we poor women are. You 
cannot imagine what a humiliation it is for a young 
girl to be taken continually here and there, and shown 
like merchandise." 

"Mademoiselle, although what you say is partly 
true, I assure you that the mothers and daughters 
exaggerate these pretended obligations. Our poet, 
Krasicki, has said somewhere, ' Nothing ever comes 
of a dialogue prepared with too much care.* " 

" That is very true, monsieur. Also most matches 
that end happily are made without thought, and as it 
were by a miracle." 

" Yes, I am convinced of that." 

" And it is probably by a miracle also," added the 
elder woman, " that marriages are maintained." 

" Have you been in the Orient? " asked Emusia, to 
change the conversation. 



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248 THE JEW, 

" Yes, mademoiselle, and I bring back a sad im- 
pression. The land of poetry is to-day the land of 
misery. The cradle of civilization has become the 
tomb." 

" But there are still traces there of biblical times, 
are there not? " asked Muse. 

"Certainly. The costumes, the habits, the land- 
scape, all remind one of the Bible. As in old days^ 
Rachel still leads her flocks to water, and the white- 
bearded patriarchs still welcome you to their tents." 

" All that must be very interesting." 

" Not for the children of a civilization, enervated 
and weakened. We can no longer live this poetical 
life. It is rigid, painful, grave, primitive, and labori- 
ous. It impresses us, notwithstanding its poetry, with 
a strange emotion toward the fountains which now are 
dried up." 

" And the old biblical traditions? " 

" They clash on all sides. With us the old traditions 
are preserved, like withered plants in an herbarium ; 
while there they still live, mixed with the daily exist- 
ence. With what emotion one contemplates stones 
taken from the aqueducts of Solomon, the ruins of 
the temple, the places sanctified by the patriarchs ! 
Christians and Jews both find there the cradle of their 
faith. In Europe we are only colonists." 

Emusia had taken a reclining attitude near Jacob, 
and listened with great attention. The mother profited 
by the occasion, and left them alone. Thus these two, 
in the midst of a crowd, found themselves alone. 



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A SIREN. 



249 



Simple politeness forbade Jacob's retreat. Muse 
attempted to magnetize him by her glances, by her 
gestures, by the sight of her gleaming shoulders, by 
her beauty, while she idly played with her bracelet, 
her rings, and her embroidered handkerchief, useless 
for any other purpose. 

The young man scarcely perceived these affected 
and enticing airs. 

" I know not," said she with hesitation, " if it be 
owing to the blood that flows in my veins, but this 
Orient has for me a certain attraction. It is thither 
that my desires tend. It has been torn from us, and 
we have been forced to forget it. It is a source of 
sadness for me that I know a mass of useless things, 
and that I am ignorant of that which most interests 
me." 

"What, for example?" asked Jacob, interested in 
spite of himself. 

" I will tell you," replied she, in a low voice with 
a feigned alarm, " provided mamma does not hear me. 
I am curious about all that concerns us that is Jewish. 
A Christian nominally, I am of Jewish blood, and 
Jesus has declared that he did not come to destroy 
the ancient law. Mamma, like many of our race, 
avoids and forbids all allusion to the past." 

" If you really wish it, mademoiselle, you can easily 
become familiar with our traditions ; you have only to 
consult several books." 

" Alas ! I do not know Hebrew." 

" There are translations in many languages." 



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250 THE JEW. 

" Really ? Could you not secretly lend me one or 
two ? I would be very grateful to you ; but it must 
remain a secret between us." 

This was a skilful move. Mystery brought them 
together. Emusia quietly put her little hand into 
Jacob's, and pressed it warmly as if to thank him. 
This grasp produced on the young man the effect of 
an electric current. He felt uneasy, troubled, and 
confused, as if he had committed a sin. 

" I will send you some volumes," murmured he. 

" That is not all," said she sweetly, still keeping 
her hand in his. " Guide me in the study for which 
I thirst. I have hours of liberty ; mamma goes out 
often, and I am at home alone. 1 depend on you to 
be my master, my instructor, in the first principles of 
the faith of our ancestors. This may appear a little 
odd on my part, but you will excuse my ardent desire 
for light." 

« I fear" — 

" No scruples, monsieur ! If I have appeared im- 
pressed by you, I assure you it was only because I wish 
to learn from you something of Judaism." 

A slight feeling of suspicion entered Jacob's mind, 
but he thrust it away from him with contempt. He 
would not admit that acting could be carried so far. 
He believed that Muse was sincere, and he arose to 
go with a much better opinion of her than when he 
came. She seemed to him more beautiful than before, 
and with something poetical about her. He sought 
already in his imagination for the biblical type to 



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A SIREN, 251 

which this strayed lamb of the fold of Israel belonged. 
He felt no sympathy for her yet, but his curiosity was 
awakened and his repugnance had disappeared. 

Emusia was radiant, and in her triumph said to 
herself: — 

" I have hit Achilles in the heel." 



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252 THE JEW, 



CHAPTER XIII. 

AKIBA. 

Jacob, admonished by Mann, bantered by Henri, 
lectured by his former guardian, and opposed by Bar- 
told, had, nevertheless, commenced his apostleship. 
He essayed to group around him the youth of Israel, 
for the old men were against all jeform. 

The most polished and the best educated did not 
like to recall their origin, nor to hear of the religion 
of their fathers. This was grievous. The disciples 
did not appear ; all minds were absorbed in the revo- 
lutionary movement. Jacob's activity became more 
and more circumscribed. His co-religionists avoided 
him ; but in spite of this abandonment, in spite of his 
isolation, he still clung to his ideas. He hoped to 
convince by his example, and to gain followers when 
calm should succeed the present political agitation 
and society regain its normal condition. 

He was sadly afflicted to see the irreligion of the 
youth of Israel, irreligion much more widespread than 
he had at first supposed. In the desert around him 
any mark of sympathy would naturally move him, 
touch him, and console him, and Muse profited by 
these circumstances. 

She put herself in possession of Jacob's ideas, pro- 



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AKIBA. 



253 



cured the books recommended, and reading the ones 
he lent her, learned some things, guessed more, and 
thus armed, went forth to combat with fair chances of 
victory. Madame Wtorkowska had adroitly seized the 
opportunity of drawing nearer him whom she already 
called, to herself, her son-in-law. She took possession 
of the first story of a house of which the Jew occupied 
the second. As there was nothing easier to ascertain 
than when the recluse was at home, they sent to his 
rooms under pretext of returning books or to ask the 
loan of new ones. Then they begged him to come 
down to them. They also met him often on the 
stairs. 

Emusia became a fervent and intelligent disciple, 
and the apostle felt more and more flattered by this 
adhesion. 

" Would you believe it," said she one evening to 
her mother, "the fool imagines that I am nearly 
ready to embrace Judaism, while in reality his Bible 
and his Talmud, with all their silly old legends and 
their stupid stories, weary me dreadfully." 

" Do you believe that the idea of marriage has en- 
tered his head ? " 

" Bah ! I will put it there when I wish." 

" In that case you had better do it as soon as pos- 
sible." 

" I am awaiting a favourable opportunity. With this 
man it is not the senses, but the heart, on which we 
must count, and we must not be in haste. Be tran- 
quil, I lie in wait for the moment." 



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254 ^^^ JEW, 

" How do you watch for it ? Flirting with Henri ? 
God knows that if you were only safely married 
to Jacob I would not care how much you saw of 
Henri ; but as you are not, I think these badinages 
are very ill-timed and take your mind off the principal 
business." 

" I know what I am doing, mamma ; the best tac- 
tics with Jacob are to proceed slowly. If we try to 
hasten matters we may lose all." 

"Well, work it your own way." 

This phrase always terminated the altercations be- 
tween Muse and her mother. 

The young girl's calculation was not destitute of 
judgment. Jacob did not love her, but he was be- 
coming accustomed to her. As for the thought of 
marriage, it had never entered his head. His heart 
was filled with Mathilde, this fading flower that 
charmed him more each day. One thing only 
drew him to Emusia; it was the fervour that she 
manifested for the Bible and the Hebrew traditions, 
nothing more. 

The mother did not altogether approve her daugh- 
ter's plans, and shrugged her shoulders, saying : — 

" If he escapes we are lost." 

" Oh, no ! It is not my Waterloo. I have not staked 
all on him. I have still the stage," said she laughing ; 
and she continued to simulate an ardent admiration 
for the Jew and his doctrines, while at the bottom she 
detested them all. With Henri, on the contrary, full 
of familiarity and enjoyment, she was in her clement. 



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AKIBA. 255 

The better to insinuate herself in Jacob's good 
graces, she flattered his mania by suggesting to him 
the thought of giving lectures on Judaism. He fell 
into the trap with enthusiasm, in spite of the obstacles 
which he knew he would encounter. His friends, 
under one pretext or another, refused to give their 
houses for this edifying purpose. At last Bartold, 
against his will, but for friendship's sake, put his at 
the Jew's disposition. 

Israelites alone were invited. The only exceptions 
were Madame Wtorkowska and her daughter, as was 
very natural. Many Jews, for fear of being accused 
of superstition and ridicule, excused themselves at the 
last moment, feigning indisposition. 

The room was large and commodious. It had no 
Jewish features, for the master of the house lived in 
European style, although without luxury. Ostentation 
was nowhere to be seen in the dwelling of this descend- 
ant of Levi, who, with all his boasting of his biblical 
nobility, was really an honest and a modest man and 
a good Polish citizen. 

That evening Madame Bartold had put her chil- 
dren to bed at an early hour. She was dressed in 
good taste, and took great care that nothing should 
be wanting in any direction. 

The ladies were in the minority, — Madame 
Wtorkowska, Emusia, Mathilde, and two others. 
Among the men were missing Mann and Mathilde's 
father, who thought all this Hebrew nonsense the issue 
of a diseased imagination. Kruder was there, for 



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256 THE JEW, 

he desired admittance to all reunions. Ivas also, and 
Wilk, who sought everywhere converts to the revolu- 
tionary cause. Henri had come, ostensibly to escort 
his wife, but really to converse freely with Muse. He 
often visited her ; but her mother was always present, 
and she frequently took advantage of his attentions 
to her daughter to borrow money of the gallant vis- 
itor, whose passion disposed him to pecuniary sacri- 
fices. 

At nine o'clock the room was full. Madame Bar- 
told, crimson with fatigue, and redder still with timid- 
ity, sought to give every one a seat. 

On a table loaded with books was a carafe of 
water, a glass, and some sugar. All awaited the lec- 
turer. 

They commenced by serving tea to the company ; 
then Jacob appeared. A solemn silence indicated 
that his audience was prepared to listen attentively. 
Not being accustomed to speaking in public, he looked 
around him, and commenced in a weak and hesitat- 
ing voice, which gradually grew stronger. 

" Ladies and Gentlemen : It is not without appre- 
hension that as a Jew I present myself before Jews, 
many of whom blush for their origin ; before Jews who 
know the history of France and England better than 
their own history ; before Jews who know more of San- 
scrit literature than of the Bible. From all sides we 
have been reproached for our spirit of retirement and 
of separation. We have been constrained to it, and 
the fault was not with us. How much more justly 



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AKIBA. 



257 



could men to-day make the merited reproach of 
our having ceased to be ourselves, and of losing 
our own identity without identifying ourselves with 
others. We are here in continual antagonism with 
the country we inhabit, to which many ties should 
unite us. It appears that even that does not 
suffice us, and we have divorced ourselves from our 
own past. 

" It is this past, with its poetry, that I would recall 
to you ; for the time has come to appreciate it, and I 
wish to show you some of its characteristic beauties. 

"Without culling here and there detached frag- 
ments of this treasure, I prefer to relate to you the 
entire life of a man who holds a place in sacred and 
legendary history. My hero is the celebrated Akiba. 

" Akiba was so poor in his youth that he served as 
a shepherd for the wealthy Kalba Chaboua. He be- 
came enamoured of his master's daughter, and this 
love was the source of his wisdom. The young girl 
responded to the tender sentiment, but she made it 
the spur of an intelligence of which she had divined 
the value and the extent. 

" * If you wish me to marry you,' said she, ' you 
must promise to devote your life to science.' 

" Akiba promised, and they were married clandes- 
tinely. Kalba Chaboua discovered the secret, dis- 
owned his daughter, and drove them from his house. 
They wandered a long time without shelter, sleeping 
at lyght under the open sky. For a bed they had 
only a small bundle of straw, and tradition relates that 



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258 THE JEW. 

one morning the beautiful black hair of the young 
woman was full of straws. Akiba drew them out 
gently, and lamented their hard fate. 

" ' Dearest,* said he tenderly, * if I could I would 
give thee rich garments, and I would hang on thy 
neck a golden Jerusalem,' — an ornament which rep- 
resented the city of Jerusalem, and which was much 
worn among the Jewish women. 

" As he said the words he was accosted by a beggar 
clothed in rags. 

" * Have pity on me,* cried he, ' and give me a hand- 
ful of straw to put under my wife's head. She is sick, 
and lying over there on the cold ground.* 

" Akiba gave the poor man what he demanded. 

" ' Behold,* said he, ' an unfortunate still more 
wretched than ourselves ! ' 

" Akiba, in order to keep his promise to his wife, 
decided, in spite of his repugnance, to enter the school 
of Nakhum Gamsu. He was obliged to leave his wife, 
who entered service, and never ceased during the 
twelve years that separated them to write her husband 
encouraging letters, completely forgetting her own 
discomforts. 

" One day, pensive and sad, Akiba followed a soli- 
tary path. A little brook attracted his attention. The 
water had pierced a rock by gradual dropping, and 
flowed gently through. 

" ' If drops of water,' remarked the future sage, 
* have such power, what force will not then the human 
will have.' 



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AKIBA. 259 

"He presented himself before his teachers without 
weakness and without false shame. He commenced 
with the letters of the alphabet, and in his free mo- 
ments he gathered wood and sold the fagots in the 
market-place. Half of his earnings fed him, the 
other half clothed and lodged him. 

"Akiba soon astonished his masters. From a 
scholar he became an eminent professor. Thousands 
of disciples grouped around him. 

" During this time his wife waited. A wicked neigh- 
bour insinuated that he had abandoned her and would 
never return. 

" * It was 1/ replied the wife, ' twelve years ago, who 
begged him to leave me and devote himself to science. 
If he prolong his studies twelve years longer, it will 
be well.* 

" Akiba heard of this advice, given indirectly, and 
profited by it. After the lapse of this time he returned 
to his native place. His renown had preceded him. 
All the population turned out to see him, and his 
wife was in the crowd. The wicked neighbour asked 
her how she dared present herself in rags before such 
an illustrious man. 

" ' My husband knows my heart,' replied she simply. 
Before she was perceived, she ran out and threw her- 
self at his feet. The pupils of Akiba would have re- 
pulsed her, but he said : — 

" ' Let her come to me. She is my wife, and it is to 
her that you and I owe much.' 

"Kalba Chaboua at last forgave his daughter and his 
son-in-law, and received them into his house. 



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26o THE JEW, 

" Akiba had two remarkable teachers, — Eliezer and 
Nahum. The former was called the sealed vase, for 
he never lost a drop of acquired science. The latter, 
subtle and penetrating, shone by the fineness of his 
analysis. Their pupil united to the erudition of the 
one the critical spirit of the other. 

" When he commenced his teaching the Jews had 
many traditions accumulated for ages and transmitted 
orally. He collected and wrote them down, accom- 
panying them with commentaries intended to rec- 
oncile the legends with the sacred writings. He 
founded a school which attracted universal admira- 
tion. 

" At the epoch when he lived religious spirit fer- 
mented; by the side of the philosophical sects of 
Greece, Christianity developed ; Gnosticism grafted its 
poetical reveries on monotheism, and differences mul- 
tiplied. 

" Many Jews were converted to the gospel under 
one form or another. Akiba remained faithful to the 
Mosaic belief. He was so profoundly absorbed in 
the mystery of the divine essence, that the angels 
wished to chastise him for his presumption in wishing 
to know all, to penetrate all. God restrained the 
wrath of these messengers, and said to them : — 

" * He is worthy of meditating on my grandeur.' 

" Devout as was Akiba, he excelled in modem 
science. He destroyed by his criticisms many things 
which his contemporaries called miraculous, rejected 
the prodigious pretensions credited by superstition. 



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AKIBA, 261 

and was pleased to demonstrate the immutability of the 
laws of nature. 

" Contrary to the other rabbis, he rejected the be- 
lief in eternal punishment. One day, when travelling, 
having with him a cock and an ass, he arrived at 
a village, and went in vain from door to door asking 
hospitality. 

" ' God doeth all things well,* said he. This was his 
favourite saying. Then he entered a deep forest, where 
he sought by the light of his lantern a place to repose. 
The wind put out his light, and he lay down repeating, 
*God doeth all things well.* Just then a wild-cat 
strangled his cock and a wolf came and tore his ass 
in pieces ; still Akiba repeated ' God doeth all things 
well.* 

" In reality, though he had met these misfortunes he 
had saved his life, which had been surely lost had he 
slept in the village. His humility and confidence in 
God were his chief characteristics. 

" Once Akiba appeared in great spirits at the bedside 
of a dying man who lamented his approaching end, 
and whose friends were weeping around his bed. 
When asked the cause of his gayety, — 

" * There is no man without sin,* said he, * and I am 
rejoiced that this one has expiated his during his life.* 

" Another time it was a wise man who was tortured 
with frightful pains. Three old savants, his friends, 
came to console him, and spoke in praise of his wis- 
dom. 



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262 THE JEW, 

" ' Science/ said the first, * is more useful to Israel 
than the dew to the earth. The dew gives the earth 
temporary life, wisdom prepares the soul for eternal 
life/ 

"'Wisdom,' continued the second, *is more neces- 
sary than the light of the sun. The one guides us 
here below, the other conducts us to heaven.* 

" Then the third spoke thus : — 

" ' You have been to Israel more than a father and a 
mother. Our parents give us earthly life; you, the 
life celestial.' 

" When Akiba's turn came to speak, he said sim- 
ply : — 

" ' It is sweet. to suffer here below.' 

" * Raise me up,' cried the dying man ; ' I wish to 
hear the second time these words, for they comfort me.' 

" Akiba deemed suffering salutary for individuals and 
for nations. He compared Israel, stained with blood 
by Vespasian and his successors, to a white horse 
adorned with purple reins. He was not over-scrupu- 
lous in religious observances. His prayers were short. 
He wore his usual simple garments on holy days, not- 
withstanding the biblical command to array one's 
self with particular care. 

" * God,' said he, * will more readily pardon sins 
committed against himself than evil done a neighbour. 
The Israelite owes justice not only to the Israelites, 
but to the pagans.' 

" He loved to discuss morals under anecdotal form. 
Here is a specimen of his method : — ' 



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AKIBA, 263 

" Two men were in the midst of a desert. They 
had only water enough for one. What ought they to 
do ? To share the water was certain death to both. 
'That is not the solution of the dilemma/ added 
Akiba ; * one must sacrifice himself for the other, that 
one, at least, should live.' 

" In advance of his times, the sage had a profounci 
respect for human life, and he was one of the first 
opponents of the death penalty. 

" Having become rich, thanks to his father-in-law, he 
was a benefactor to the poor and a promoter of all 
charitable associations. 

" ' Whoever,' he used to say, * does not relieve a 
sick person, when it is in his power to do so, is an 
assassin.' 

" The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple did 
not weaken Akiba's faith in divine justice. While 
Israel wept over the smoking ruins of the holy city, 
he smiled and predicted a brighter future. He 
always taught resignation to the divine will. But in- 
cessant persecutions aroused in him a violent irritation 
against the Romans, and a thirst for martyrdom. He 
lived in an epoch when the Jews were most unfortu- 
nate. Domitian continued the horrors of Vespasian 
and of Titus. They struck blows on all sides, and 
sought particularly a descendant of David, of whom 
popular rumour proclaimed the existence, and who 
intended, it was said, to avenge Israel's woes. 

" Akiba converted many Romans to the Hebrew 
monotheism. Flavins Clemens, a relative of the 



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364 ^^^' 7^^- 

emperor, was put to death for having embraced this 
doctrine, and his wife was, for the same reason, con- 
demned to exile. After the death of this Caesar, 
Israel breathed again during the two years' reign of 
Nerva and during the first ten years of the reign of 
Trajan ; but they paid dearly for this short respite. 
The Jews of Syria, of Mesopotamia, of Armenia and 
Persia, took arms in favour of the Parthians, and drew 
on themselves the wrath of Rome, whose soldiers 
massacred them in great numbers. They soon took 
up arms again upon the Euphrates, and revolted at 
Cyprus and in Egypt. New persecutions and repres- 
sions followed under the reign of Adrian. 

" Akiba, a man of science, was changed by these 
troubles into a man of action. He travelled over the 
different parts of the empire to prepare a general up- 
rising. He entered into relations with Simon, or Bar 
Kokhba, called the child of destiny when he was in 
the height of his prosperity, the child of lies after he 
had lost his fortune. 

"This Simon, intrepid, daring, and of attractive 
manner, had with his majestic height all the quali- 
ties required for the leader of an insurrection. He 
pleased Akiba, who proclaimed him Messiah. The 
title attracted thousands of volunteers, for the idea of 
a deliverer sent by God was attached to the name of 
Messiah. Simon admitted to the ranks of his army 
only the strong and vigorous, many of whom were 
able to tear a large tree from the earth with their 
hands. Full of a confidence which he communicated 



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AKIBA. 265 

to Others^ Bar Kokhba often addressed to God this 
strange prayer: — 

** * If thou dost not wish to come to ray aid, at least 
do not favour my foes ; for if thou dost not support 
them I will vanquish them.* 

"To excessive presumption he owed his ultimate 
defeat after many brilliant triumphs. The Roman 
governor of Palestine was completely routed. Fifty 
cities or towns and nine hundred and eighty-five 
villages fell into the power of the insurgents. Estab- 
lished at Bitar, Bar Kokhba made that city his capi- 
taly fortified it, and coined money in his own name. 
Adrian was troubled. The Jews everywhere refused 
to pay taxes. He sent to Britain for one of his most 
able lieutenants, Julius Severus. Severus advised pa- 
tience ; he attacked the Jews by detachments, and 
finished by surrounding Bitar, whose inhabitants he 
reduced to famine. Bar Kokhba defended his city 
until death. 

" It is sad to remember that this valiant chief soiled 
his life by an unpardonable act. During the siege, 
the wise Eliezer, Akiba*s teacher, gave himself up to 
fasting and prayer. This contemplative life in the 
midst of general activity was called treasonable ; the 
Messiah ordered him put to death, and the devout 
scholar was killed. It is estimated that a half- million 
of Israelites lost their lives in this formidable revolt. 
After the combat the fugitives were pitilessly pursued. 
Many died of hunger in the forests and caverns, the 
survivors nourished themselves on the corpses of 



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266 THE JEW, 

their brothers, and those who fell into the power of 
the Romans were massacred or sold as slaves. Adrian 
renewed the edict of Trajan, forbidding the Jews to 
perform their religious rites or to teach their faith. 
All literature that might maintain or propagate the 
national sentiments was suppressed. Jerusalem was 
peopled with Romans, and on the site of the Temple 
of Solomon arose a temple to Jupiter, adorned with 
his statue. They even changed the name of the vio- 
lated city, calling it CElia Capitolina, from the name 
CElius. The Jews were forbidden to stay there, or 
even to enter. At the gate which led to Bethle- 
hem the head of a pig was exposed as a permanent 
insult. 

"After the peace, Akiba was not immediately mo- 
lested in spite of his participation in the insurrection, 
— a moral participation, perhaps, but very efficacious. 
He continued, contrary to the imperial edict, to explain 
the holy books. He was soon arrested, on the order 
of that same Rufus who had conquered the * child of 
destiny,' and who was the new governor of Judea. 
The old man was shut up in a dark dungeon, and his 
only nourishment was bread and water. Instead of 
drinking this water he used it for the ablutions pre- 
scribed by the law. He was condemned to torture 
and to death. In the midst of the most excruciating 
sufferings, when the hour of prayer, called Chema, ar- 
rived, he began to recite in a loud voice. The execu- 
tioner was astonished, and asked him' if he had charms 
to banish his pains. 



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AKIBA, 



267 



" * I have no charms/ replied he calmly ; ' but 1 
have always desired to offer God the sacrifice of my 
life. My wish is granted, and I rejoice.' 

" He continued his prayer, and reaching the words, 
'There is but one God,' gave up the ghost." 



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26S THE JEW 

CHAPTER XIV. 

ALEA JACrA EST. 

The audience had listened attentively. The im- 
pressions produced were different and not altogether 
favourable. Some faces expressed an ironical disap- 
probation, others impatience and weariness. Never- 
theless, after the lecture was over they all hastened to 
thank the orator with many compliments. After a 
while the critics commenced : — 

" Fanaticism plays a great part in this historical lec- 
ture," remarked Henri Segel. 

" I do not like these legends ; they are pure inven- 
tion," said another. 

" All these old persecutions appear improbable to- 
day," added a third. 

" They can, nevertheless, be renewed with the most 
frightful details against us or against other nations," 
replied Jacob. " Conquerors are always savage in 
their vengeance, whether they are called Nero, Do- 
mitian, Trajan, Adrian, or " — 

He was interrupted by some one who asked : — 

" What, in the nineteenth century? " 

" Yes ; in our own times. Utinam simfalsus vates! 
Can I be a false prophet? " 

" But, monsieur," said Muse, " you owe us something 
more gay, more agreeable." 



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ALE A J ACT A EST. 269 

"Hebrew literature furnishes certainly agreeable 
and amusing stories, but the choice is difficult." 

Jacob turned some pages of the Talmud. 

"The Rabbi Gamaliel, who was put to death by 
Rufus in the same manner as Akiba, related one day 
to a pagan prince the creation of woman in Genesis. 

" * If that is true/ said the prince, * your God acts 
like a malefactor, robbing a rib from Adam during 
his sleep.' 

" The younger daughter of Gamaliel heard of the 
conversation. 

" ' Permit me, father, to reply,' said sne. 

"The rabbi consented, and she approached the 
prince supplicatingly. 

" * My lord,' said she, ' I come to demand justice.' 

" ' What has happened ? ' 

" ' A robbery has been committed in our house : a 
thief entered the house in the night and stole a silver 
cup, leaving in its place a golden one.' 

" * What an honest thief ! Would to Heaven we 
had more like him ! ' cried the prince. 

" * Very well, then, my lord. Our God is a male- 
factor of the same stamp. He took from Adam a 
part of his body, and gave him the beautiful Eve in 
exchange.* 

" * The comparison is ingenious ; but your God had 
better have acted in a frank and open manner. Why 
should he have employed clandestine means ? ' 

" The young girl said in reply : — 

" * Will you permit me to bring here a piece of raw 
meat ? * 



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270 THE JEW. 

" ' Certainly.' 

"As soon as she had the meat the daughter of 
Gamaliel went to the fire, cut it, and prepared it in 
the presence of the astonished prince, and when it 
was cooked, invited him to eat. 

" * My child, I know it is well cooked, but to have 
seen it done in detail takes away my appetite.' 

" ' Behold why God did not wish Adam to assist at 
the preparation of his wife. Perhaps he also would 
not have wished to possess her.' 

"The Talmud," continued Jacob, "explains why 
God did not take the woman from the eyes, nor the 
mouth, nor the arms." 

" Suspend the conversation and conceal the Talmud. 
I hear knocks at the door," said Henri. 

" Why should I do that? " 

" Perhaps it is a stranger ; it is not desirable that 
he should surprise us in full Judaism." 

"Should we, then, be ashamed of our part?" said 
Jacob sadly. 

Kruder, who had left the room, entered, pale and 
agitated. 

"What is it? " asked Bartold. 

"While you have been so quiet here there has 
been a massacre. The military have surprised a po- 
litical meeting, and it is said that many were killed 
and wounded." 

" Let us go ! " cried Jacob. " Let us go where the 
blood flows, and where victims are demanded. We 
should be found there ; " and he seized his hat, but 
Bartold withheld him. 



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ALEA JACTA EST. 271 

" Wait," said he ; " this is but the prologue of the 
drama. It is evident that we should not hold our- 
selves aloof, there I agree with you ; but we must not 
act in an imprudent manner. The thing is probably 
over for to-day. I propose that we consult together 
as to what is best to do." 

" Where, where ? " came from all sides. 

" At Mann's. We can do nothing without him." 

"When?" 

" To-morrow morning." 

Kruder threw himself in a chair. *^AIea jacta 
est;' said he. " Unhappy Poland ! " 

The tragedy occurred on the street, at a time when 
the nobles had arrived from all parts of the kingdom, 
for a general reunion of the Agricultural Society. No 
one had foreseen the sinister event, no one wished for 
it ; but an invisible hand seemed to precipitate it. 

After he left Bartold*s, Jacob could not resist the 
temptation to visit the scene of the catastrophe. A 
lugubrious silence reigned there. Noiseless pedes- 
trians hurriedly regained their homes, gliding silently 
through the misty shadows. Here and there a sen- 
tinel was stationed. On the grave faces of the sol- 
diers he believed that he could read the struggle 
between military honour and human duty. 

Near the Hotel Europe Jacob met a group of 
nobles who came out of the governmental palace ; they 
were excited, and conversed in low voices. As he 
passed on, by the door of the hotel, some one seized 
his handy and he recognized Gromof, the companion 



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272 THE JEW. 

of Lucie Coloni. Taking his arm, Gromof drew him 
into the house, and made him mount several pairs of 
stairs without saying a word. 

They entered the apartment of the ItaHan lady, 
and found her seated on a couch. She looked at 
Gromof and left the room; alone with Jacob, the 
Russian said : — 

" You are young, monsieur, and you cannot be al- 
together indifferent to that which is happening ; you 
ought to know everything about it.'* 

"Of what?" 

" Of the intended revolution." 

" I know absolutely nothing, I assure you." 

"Do you take me for a spy, an informer?" asked 
Gromof. 

" Be cool and wise, my friend. I have scarcely re- 
turned to my home. I am a Jew, and, if you will re- 
call it, in the depths of my soul an enemy to all revo- 
lution." 

"And why are you opposed to revolutions? " 

"Because they lead to nothing, they are convul- 
sive maladies, they retard the normal march of prog- 
ress, and their cruel repressions push the people to 
despair. I think that there are means more efficacious 
than rebellions \ but this discussion will lead us too 
far. I am not a revolutionist, I repeat to you ; but if 
this country, which is the land of my choice, needs 
my blood and my life, I will give them willingly. I 
will go with the others." 

" You are a man of good faith. It is enough to 



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A LEA yACTA EST. 273 

see you and to hear you to be convinced of it. I 
will then be as frank with you as I can, without be- 
tra5ring the secrets of others. I am a revolutionist 
myself by principle, for I am a Russian. My neck 
bears the mark of an iron collar ; on my arms are 
imprints made by chains ; the stigma of slavery is 
engraved on my thoughts, on my conscience, and on 
my words. I am ready to sacrifice myself to over- 
throw the world, to shed torrents of blood, at any 
cost to deliver my country from intellectual servitude, 
from moral degradation, from a maternal slavery 
which makes me blush to call myself a Russian in the 
eyes of the world. With us a revolution is a neces- 
sity. Otherwise we shall never gain the rights of men ; 
but in this uprising we must be united. Wait until 
we give the signal ; then march united ; if you engage 
in this combat against despotism alone, you will com- 
promise both your future and ours. Use, I entreat 
you, all your influence to stop this absurd, tempestu- 
ous, and premature outbreak. Russia will remain 
chained for a century yet, if your foolish precipitation 
is not abated. If you rebel now, you will only be 
playing into their hands; it is the very thing they 
want you to do; as in 181 2, they will appeal to the 
patriotism of the masses, and set them upon you like 
wild beasts after their prey. An infamous bureaucracy 
will wallow in the blood of vanquished Poland ; 
oppressed and down-trodden, she will find it difficult 
to rise again. There will be persecutions, murders, 
and exile of hundreds at a time to Siberia. That is 
what awaits you if you do not take my warning." 

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274 2"^^ yEfv. 

" Have you talked with any of our young men ? " 

" Yes ; with some of the military ; but scarcely had I 
opened my mouth when they took me for an agent 
of the third section, and would not listen to me. 
And yet, if these madmen would only remain quiet 
two or three years, we Russian revolutionists would 
have time to work through the army and to instil in 
all hearts a desire for freedom, to turn the emancipa- 
tion of the serfs made for the profit of the govern- 
ment against this same government, and to spread 
from the shores of the Neva the cry of freedom for 
Russia as well as for Poland. It is certain to come 
some day ; but your headstrong Poles will retard it if 
they do not listen to reason. Could you not arrange 
for me to meet some of the leaders of the agita- 
tion?" 

" Truly, I do not know them. A youth who has 
more enthusiasm than good sense appears to be the 
leader in this movement." 

** This youth is only an instrument, I think," said 
the Russian. " Where are the serious men, the ear- * 
nest ones?" 

**I do not believe there are any." 

" Young men are active in war, but need old men 
in counsel. How came the country to be abandoned 
to such authority ? You are mocking me, no doubt. 
You do not trust me. You will not speak." 

" If I had had suspicions, they might have been 
justified, for I hardly know you ; but I give you my 
word of honour that I do not belong to any such 



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ALEA yACTA EST, 275 

conspiracy, nor to any secret society. I am ready, 
however, to give my life when the hour of the su- 
preme holocaust arrives." 

" I believe you ; but your heroism is inconceivable. 
To be willing to die with those who do not confide in 
you is strange. " 

" It is not so strange, and it is not heroism. It 
will only be the accomplishment of my duty, and a 
proof that there are some Jews who deserve a coun- 
try, and that some of us love Poland." 

" Will you save her by your devotion? " 

" No. And we ourselves will perish ; but we shall 
have contracted an alliance of blood with this 
country." 

" All that is very fine and very poetic, but politics 
require something else; they do not rely on senti- 
mental pity. By her reiterated heroisms, Poland has 
weakened herself and perishes. Calculation, oppor- 
tunity, and stratagem may save her. Why does she 
not seek to make allies of her own oppressors, when 
nothing could be easier ? Why has she given up her 
place in the government of Russia to the Germans ? 
Why has she not sought to take up all governmental 
interests, to endear herself to us, and to communicate 
to us her liberalism, her brilliant civilization ? Why 
has she not been more politic ? She has furnished us 
only some nobles with great names but without 
worth, lackeys in court dress ; but men of real im- 
portance, not one. They have all kept aloof. In 
one century, since the first partition of your country, 



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276 THE JEW, 

what has been your influence ? The Poles are much 
more enlightened than the Russians ; could you not 
have been benefactors? In a century so little has 
been done. You have dissipated the years in frivol- 
ity, and each generation has thrown itself entirely 
unprepared into a revolution, always cruelly repressed, 
the result of which was exile and oppression. Wives 
have left their luxurious homes and accompanied their 
husbands to Siberia. You have harangued, written, 
and revealed to the Russian government your own 
weakness, so that they know how to strike and how 
you will take the blow. The Poles have the chival- 
rous instinct too fully developed ; you do not dissemble 
enough. My word for it, you must meet intrigue 
with intrigue. If you do not, you will perish utterly, 
and you will have deserved it by your candour." 

"A generation will perish, perhaps," said Jacob, 
" but not Poland. Under Russian oppression, under 
the knout and the gallows, she will learn to be more 
serious, more persevering, and more wise. The cow- 
ardly will be terrorized, but they will be the excep- 
tion." 

" Do you know what your spiritual writer, Rzewuski, 
said to a Russian general? " 

" No ; I have not heard it." 

*' 'I have a wonderful way of discovering the 
honesty of a Russian and the good sense of a Pole.' 

" * What is the way? ' asked the general. 

" * It is only to look in the palm of the hand to see 
if there are any hairs there.' " 



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ALEA JACTA EST. 277 

"That is trae," said Gromof. The Poles lack 
good sense and we lack honesty. From the time of 
Ivan the Terrible we have been taught to lie, to steal, 
and to kill for the public good. Such teachings for 
three generations have naturally borne their fruit. As 
for the Poles, after experiencing such misfortunes by 
their precipitation, they should have acquired com- 
mon-sense and judgment ; but they have not, I regret 
to say." 

" What do you wish of me, monsieur? " said Jacob. 

" I wish you to try and quell the passions of your 
youthful revolutionists. Pray, supplicate, admonish, 
and entreat them to wait ; in the name of Heaven, to 
wait; and if you think your influence is not great 
enough, introduce me to a leader, a chief." 

" One word, monsieur," said Jacob. " How can I 
be sure that you are worthy of confidence ; you are a 
Russian ; what proofs can you give of being worthy of 
our confidence ? " 

" I assure you I merit your whole confidence," 
cried Gromof, " and I will give proofs in writing and 
on my own body. I will show on my back ridges 
left there by the knout, and on my arms the mark of 
chains. But, no ! no ! they do not wish to believe 
me. Unhappy Poland will fail to secure liberty, for 
her a forbidden fruit ! The throne of the Czar will 
be strengthened by those who thought to overthrow 
it. The court will continue to suck the people's 
blood. Oh, what a satanic laugh does your idiotic 
revolution provoke in me ! I will be among the first 



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278 THE JEW. 

to prey on you, to avenge myself for my destroyed 
hopes. Yes, I will go to see you all hung with pleas- 
ure, for you will have ruined our future." 

"Be calm,'* said Jacob; "we have not yet com- 
menced a revolution, and perhaps it may be averted. 
These youth are only a handful; they may yet be 
suppressed." 

" No ; if young men are at the head, neither them- 
selves nor any one else can hold them back. They 
will go to any length. Youth and the mob are two 
inflammable elements. The sacrifice will be accom- 
plished. There will be a heap of corpses, and the 
bureaucracy will make merry with their samovars and 
their brandy on the battle-field. I see your future : 
the country ravaged, villages depopulated, cities pil- 
laged, chained galley slaves marching towards Siberia, 
bloody executions, an insatiable vengeance, and every- 
where ruins and ashes. That will be your fate for 
having retarded Russian liberty by your premature 
revolution." 

" Do not be so excited, I pray you." 

" Not be excited ! That is easy to say. Have you 
suffered as I have ? Do you know what exile is ? Do 
you know anything about penal labour? I was con- 
demned to it for life, but I escaped. Such labour is 
very hard, but exile is even more intolerable." 

After a short silence Gromof continued : — 

" Braving all personal danger, I come here to pre- 
vent, if possible, a fatal precipitation ; but I fear it is 
too late." 



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ALEA yACTA EST. 279 

" But," said Jacob, " how can they commence a 
revolution without arms, without money, without 
leaders or soldiers?" 

" Your crazy youth would go to battle with sticks 
and staves. The government, to encourage them, or 
rather to lead them into the snare of their own de- 
struction, have permitted the underhand introduction 
of a small quantity of arms ; they have been allowed 
to amass a little money, and the government has 
seemed to have its eyes shut to a movement that it 
has really instigated. Afterward they can repress it 
when they desire. In the eyes of Europe, the first 
aggression will be on your side. Your folly will have 
been heroic, but will only obtain a barren sympathy. 
Europe will authorize by her silence the horrible 
cruelties which Poland will again endure, and des- 
potism, by this crafty political stroke, will be rein- 
forced for a long time." 

Jacob did not reply, and Gromof grew warmer and 
warmer, when Lucie Coloni came out of the next 
room, and, putting her hand on his brow, said in a 
caressing tone : — 

'* Serge, calm yourself, or you will be ill." 

" It will kill me ! " said Gromof, hanging his head 
for a moment, then raising it he cried furiously : — 

" Bad luck to you ! Bad luck to you, if our project 
is ruined by you foolish Poles ! " 

Jacob drew out his watch ; the situation was un- 
pleasant and he did not know what to do, what to 
say. The Russian looked at him reproachfully as if 



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zSo THE JEW. 

he had thrown cold water on his hopes ; he seated 
himself again, and instead of acting like one possessed^ 
Gromof suddenly became pleasant and agreeable. 

" Pardon me. Monsieur Jacob," said he, " for having 
revealed to you the sufferings of my inmost heart. Sav- 
age blood flows in my veins, which is repressed only 
by civilization. All my countrymen are the same ; we 
Russians are savages at heart, but you know now what 
I want of you or any other person who has political 
influence in the present crisis." 

They parted, and Jacob passing safely by the 
guards regained his dwelling. 



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A PERILOUS INTERVIEW. 28 1 



CHAPTER XV. 

A PERILOUS INTERVIEW. 

Returned home, Jacob found a note from Muse, 
who implored him, no matter at what hour he re- 
turned, to come to her, saying she would wait for him 
if necessary until morning. 

Until now the grave young man, notwithstanding 
the marked devotion of his lovely prosel)rte, had known 
how to maintain when in her presence a respectful 
distance, avoiding all familiar and compromising rela- 
tions. The mother and daughter endeavoured in vain 
to put him in a compromising position. More than 
once things were arranged so that he was alone with 
the young girl, who then employed an insinuating 
sweetness and provoking tenderness ; but Jacob did not 
cease to be respectful and dignified. There had been 
moments when this charming creature, animated by a 
simulated passion, and recalling the Greek bacchantes, 
had produced in him an involuntary sensation ; but he 
conquered it, and his love for Mathilde served as a 
shield to defend him against temptation. 

It was past midnight when the servant who had 
brought the letter told him that he was expected 
on the floor below. Jacob hesitated ; but he thought 
that some urgent business had caused these ladies to 
appeal to him, and he decided to go. 



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2S3 THE JEW, 

He found Muse in a light piquant yet modest dress, 
her beautiful hair partly unconfined, her shoulders a 
little uncovered, as if by chance. She held a hand- 
kerchief, and was all prepared for tears. When he 
entered, she ran to meet him. 

" Oh, Monsieur Jacob ! " cried she, taking his hand. 
"What has happened? Where have you been? 
You were no doubt mixed up in this affair. Oh, I ask 
you, for mercy's sake, not to throw yourself in the fray. 
Does not friendship permit me to ask this of you ? " 

She fixed her eyes tenderly on Jacob, who, perfectly 
calm, did not reply. Muse continued : — 

"I am all in a tremble about you. Do not mis- 
judge my feelings, for I have for you only the senti- 
ments of a sister," and she pressed his hand for the 
second time. 

" I thank you very much, mademoiselle ; but I give 
you my word of honour that I know nothing of the 
events that have taken place, and I do not intend to 
take part in the fray." 

" In that case, why this prolonged absence ? " 

" By a singular chance a person of my acquaintance 
stopped me and the conversation lasted long." 

" It is useless, you cannot deceive me ; " and say- 
ing this she seized both of his hands and leaned 
toward him. He could hear the beating of her heart, 
her breath fanned his cheek, and her eyes sought to 
magnetize him. 

" I will tell you, then, that I passed the rest of the 
evening with a Russian," said Jacob smiling. 



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A PERILOUS INTERVIEW. 283 

This smile, this coldness and complete presence of 
mind, displeased Muse. She had hoped to see him 
succumb to her fascinations; but she had deceived 
herself, and this angered her against him and against 
herself. But the more difficult it was to inspire him 
with no matter what kind of love, the more she was 
determined to succeed. 

" Very well. I believe you ; but look at me, mon- 
sieur, " said she lowering her voice. " Have I not 
changed? Hours of feverish anxiety for you are 
graven on my face. " 

These words were murmured in his ear, and were 
scarcely intelligible. 

"Truly, mademoiselle, " replied Jacob, " I feel my- 
self unworthy of such anxiety on your part." 

" No ; you are not worthy of a sentiment that you 
have awakened without even deigning to perceive it. 
You are so indifferent, so cold." Then, as if she had 
said too much, she lowered her eyes and was silent. 

Jacob felt sorry for her, and leaning towards her he 
kissed her hand. Muse started as if he had applied 
a hot iron, trembled violently, and buried her head in 
the sofa- pillow. 

Then for the first the thought that Muse loved him 
struck Jacob. To have allowed such a sentiment to 
develop seemed to him a great crime. He was as 
horrified with himself as if his conduct had been 
that of a libertine. He started from his seat and 
looked at her. This sudden agitation could be inter- 
preted ii) different ways. Mus? <Jid not prolong th^ 



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284 '^^^^ 7^^' 

scene, for even if the desired end was not completely 
attained, she hoped much for the future in the silence 
and troubled mien of the young man. 

" Go, monsieur 1 " said she. " I am ill. I do not 
know what I have said. My head is confused." 

Jacob hesitated a moment, looked at her pale face, 
saluted her respectfully, and went out. He had 
hardly closed the door behind him when the mother 
entered. 

" Very well, what has happened ? " asked she. 

" He is stupid, very stupid," replied the adorable 
Emusia, shrugging her shoulders. " He is a fool, but 
I will conquer him yet. " 

" I fear, on the contrary, that he is not enough of a 
fool for us," replied Madame Wtorkowska. 



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THE JEWS IN COUNCIL. 285 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE JEWS IN COUNCIL. 

A GREAT number of the most influential Israelites 
assembled at Mann's house on the following day. 
Mann^ who was already proud of being considered 
the chief of the Israelites of Warsaw, was delighted 
to preside at a meeting of so much importance. 

" Mann," whispered Father Simon to Bartold, " this 
poor Mann, resembles this morning a bladder ; look 
out, for he may burst." 

" And even if he does, with what are we threatened ? 
A little wind, and nothing else," replied Bartold 
laughing. 

This vain personage had really assumed a very 
pompous manner. He looked around him from the 
height of his grandeur, and from time to time put his 
hand on his empty head. Seated on a sofa which he 
occupied alone, he opened the meeting majestically. 

" Messieurs," he said, " we have met here to dis- 
cuss future events, for the situation is complicated. 
What, then, should be our role ? That is the question 
submitted to you. We have always been united ; I 
hope it will now be shown that we have not changed." 

" Excuse me," said Simon. " But I vote a distri- 
bution of cigars before the important debate," 



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286 THE JEW, 

" Have done with your jests," said Mann in a firm 
voice, handing him a cigar. "This is no laughing 
matter ; the times are grave and serious ? What attitude 
shall we take toward the nobles ? What will they do 
now, after this affair of last night ? " 

"The nobles will do nothing at all. They will dis- 
pute, argue, vociferate, and threaten, and the result 
of their consultation will be nothing," said the incor- 
rigible Simon. 

" Yes, that is usually the way ; but this time they are 
forced to take action. I will add that the nobles have 
almost alwa)rs been hostile to our race, and have often 
offended us by denying us justice." 

" The nobility will always be the nobility," replied 
Simon to the chairman, in spite of his efforts to silence 
him. " They look on us as their stewards, their bro- 
kers, their innkeepers. They accuse us of exhaling 
garlic wherever we go. But they are not at heart our 
enemies. Let us speak of the other side of the mat- 
ter, for, messieurs, the nobles dream only of sacrificing 
themselves for their beloved Poland ; we do not enter 
into their calculations in that regard, and is it not our 
own fault?" 

"The revolution is imminent," said Mann. 

" It is possible," observed Bartold. " But I believe 
the nobles would like to draw out of this affair, in 
which the middle class are so active, and into which 
they seek to draw us." 

"Then we must let ourselves be drawn in," said 
Jacob, " in order to become worthy citizens of the 



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THE JEWS W COUNCIL, 287 

country that has received us when we were out- 
casts." 

" Jacob always returns to this refiain ; we know his 
theories, but at present we are occupied with practical 
things. What interest have we in the past?" said 
Mann. 

" Our first interest," replied Jacob, " in a country 
where we are so numerous is to be admitted to a foot- 
ing of equality. The opportunity now presents itself ; 
let us profit by it ; let us unite with the middle class." 

*' Nothing is so alluring as a sham compact at the 
outset, but afterward there are sure to be mutual re- 
criminations and quarrels," said Simon. 

'* Take a cigar to close your lips ! " cried the 
chairman, who was weary of the sentimentalism of 
the one and the everlasting jests of the other. 

"I will give you a second cigar, if you will be 
silent," added another. 

"I repeat my question," said Mann solemnly. 
" What r61e ought we to play at present, — we 
Jews?" 

" Excuse me," said a stranger. " There are no 
Jews here. We are all Poles, of the religion of 
Moses." 

A hearty applause showed approval of this expres- 
sion uttered for the first time. 

"If this view is adopted it solves the question," 
said Jacob. 

" Pardon," replied Mann, " a thousand pardons. 
This phrase does not decide whether we will make 



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288 THE JEW, 

common cause with the nobles, who do not wish a 
premature revolution, of with the bourgeoisie, who are 
the promoters of this movement." 

" That's the chief point," cried Simon, always eager 
to give his advice. " I vote for the nobles ; by going 
with them we may succeed in obtaining crests. I am 
very anxious to stamp on my seal three onions on a 
field of gold." 

" Cursed babbler ! " cried Mann, striking the table 
with his fist. " Will you keep silent or not ? " 

" I will shut up," said Simon. 

" Let us be serious," replied Bartold. " Mon- 
sieur Mann has put the question well." 

" I do not think so," said Jacob. " To take sides 
with this party or that is all that we should have to 
decide. The question is altogether different for me. 
Here it is : What is the better part for us to take in 
the interest of Poland, our adopted country? " 

" Listen to me," cried Henri Segel. " We should 
be blind, indeed, not to see that, if we join in a revo- 
lution lost in advance, it would mean as certain ruin 
to us as to the rest of the country." 

A small man with a consumptive look gazed 
around him, coughed, and let fall, drop by drop, 
these words : — 

" We have been long enough held in contempt and 
subjection. The time has arrived to come out of it. 
Let us think of ourselves only. The peasant does 
not like us, because he is stupid, and we do not in- 
spire him with fear. The nobles detest us and con- 



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THE JEWS m COUNCIL, 289 

tinually humiliate us. They will take part in the 
rebellion ; if they find it inevitable, they will consider 
it a point of honour. The Russian government hates 
them, and will take advantage of the opportunity to 
confiscate their estates and drive them into exile. If 
we can be neutral during the crisis, what a prospect 
opens before us ! In every nation, whatever be the 
form of government, be always on the side of the 
governing ^lass. We are prepared to seize a high 
position. We will become the masters of the coun- 
try." 

"This idea," said Jacob, "has been often advanced, 
and is nothing new. But there is one objection : we 
shall save everything but honour. The fact of having 
been sheltered from all danger will condemn us. The 
nobility will not entirely disappear; many will re- 
main. Russia, too, has her own revolutionists, who 
may overthrow her in a few years." 

" Yes, before many years," replied the little man 
dryly ; " if we do not make ourselves masters here, 
we are not worth a farthing* Already we dominate 
more than half of Europe in money matters, and the 
German press is largely at our service. France, also, 
has not escaped our influence. Warsaw is called our 
capital, a new Jerusalem." 

" My dear sir," said Jacob, " your prophecy is not 
yet ready to be realized. We shall not attain our end 
by egotism. It would be much better to seal our fra- 
ternity with Poland, and by a sincere devotion gain 
her esteem by proving that the people of Israel are a 



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290 THE JEIV, 

noble people, that they will not abase themselves by 
taking sides with the strong or the oppressors. Never 
has the calculation of knavery been preferable to that 
of honesty." 

" What is that you are saying there ? " interrupted 
Simon. " The Jew has always been a trickster, and 
will do well to remain such." 

** No, no ! " replied Jacob warmly. " If servitude 
has taught us deceit and falsehood, is it «ny reason 
why we should persevere in it, now that our heavy 
chains are broken and the way is open to us? Let 
us march with the right, our heritage during thou- 
sands of years. The glory of Israel is very dear to 
me, but I rely above all on the laws of God and the 
justice of our cause. Let us prove that we are wor- 
thy of being called the 'chosen people of God.» 
There lies our grandeur, we do not need to seek an- 
other." 

"Fine words," said Mann, "And why shall we 
not exult over the defeat of our enemies ? They have 
kept us long enough in the mud at the gates of their 
palaces ; why should we not be glad to see them in 
their turn humbled before us? " 

"We reproach the pagans with love of revenge, 
and now do we wish to imitate them ? Our faith has 
been accused of inculcating that ignoble sentiment ; 
while, on the contrary, the Christians preach forgive- 
ness to enemies and laud it as a virtue." 

" Virtue," said Mann, " is an excellent thing in pri- 
vate life, but when the welfare of a nation or a com- 



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THE JEWS IN COUNCIL. 29 1 

munity is threatened, it is not expected that we 
should adhere strictly to virtue." 

" An old and pernicious prejudice. The magicians 
recommend the use of a soup made from the fat of 
corpses in order to attain happiness in life, and poli- 
ticians of the old school preach villany in the interest 
of the public good. It is an error : a nation is never 
saved by evil." 

" You are eloquent, Jacob ; but you generalize too 
much. You forget that the right of conversation is 
open to all. I refer you to the Talmud, which you 
quote so often." 

" The hour for the Bourse draws nigh, and we have 
decided nothing," cried another. 

" That which is difficult," said Bartold, " is to de- 
cide, with the meagre information we possess. One 
cannot foresee how things will turn out. We must 
wait. I wish, like Jacob, to follow the right, but on 
condition that it does not lead to a precipice ; I ad- 
mit the necessity of sacrifices when something is 
gained thereby, but I do not approve of useless sac- 
rifices." 

" All sacrifice bears its fruit sooner or later," re- 
plied Jacob. 

"You return to your mysticisms. Our debate is 
ended." 

" Result : nothing, as usual," concluded Simon. 

" One word more," said Mann. " It has been 
said that we cannot foresee how events will terminate. 
Some one of us should seek admittance to the revolu- 



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292 THE JEW, 

tionary meetings and observe what is going on ; that 
may enlighten us. Prudence dictates this precaution. 
Jacob, will you undertake it? " 

" No, Monsieur Mann. . I am not a revolutionist, 
and I refuse to lend myself to the role of a spy even 
for our cause." 

" What delicate susceptibility ! We will send some 
one in your place." 

Mann sputtered wrathfuUy, and continued : — 

" Thus we shall be informed of the actions of the 
revolutionary party, and if anything important occurs, 
my house is always at your service for meetings." 

" The Bourse, the Bourse ; it is the hour ! " cried 
several voices. And they all hastened away. 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 



293 



CHAPTER XVII. 

REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 

Jacob, impressed by Gromof s words, sought an in- 
terview with Kruder or Ivas. The first was out, and 
the second he could not find. Returning from his 
search he learned that the people were assembled for 
the funerals of the previous night's victims. An irre- 
sistible impulse seized him, and he arrived, he hardly 
knew how, at the spot where the five victims had 
fallen. The place, after the murder, had been com- 
pletely deserted. In the souls of the people surged 
an exaltation, a virility, a confidence which only de- 
manded a signal of authority to become a revolution. 
They had lacked arms, but they had torn them from 
the Russian troops. 

Soldiers and officers seemed ashamed of the attack. 
The government itself, after so cold-blooded an act, 
hesitated. Orders were received from Petersburg to 
display a pitiless firmness, but they dared not execute 
them. It almost seemed as if remorse had overtaken 
the representatives of the Czar at Warsaw. Was it 
really remorse? No, it was rather a ruse. 

Clubs gathered in the open air and met everywhere 
without being disturbed by the police. For the first 
time in Poland they enjoyed under Muscovite rule a 



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394 ^^^ y^^' 

semblance of liberty. The capital was under the con- 
trol of its inhabitants ; in the circle of commerce del- 
egates were chosen, whose duty was to present to 
Prince Gortchakof, Namiestnik of the kingdom, the 
will of the people. This removal of the yoke of the 
oppressor lasted for several days, — from March to 
April. Sad as its beginning had been, the nation 
breathed ; she was free for the moment. 

Those who took part in the deeds of these days 
guard them in their memory as the most memorable 
episode of their lives. I doubt if it has ever been 
given a man to see twice, anything as imposing. 

Jacob walked about the city, his heart filled with 
sweet emotions ; a single thought occupied him, that 
of the fusion of the Israelites with the rest of the 
nation. The hour was propitious, the moment was 
decisive. In spite of little S)niipathy for Mann, 
he realized that he could undertake nothing without 
his influence. Mann had not been chosen a dele- 
gate, for the Jews were represented to their satisfac- 
tion in the person of the wealthy and honourable 
Matthieu Rosen, a man of rare merit. He urged 
his people and their rabbis to join in the patriotic 
movement, for by that means they would share in a 
union of sentiments and aspirations with the Chris- 
tian population and their clergy. A similar union 
had occurred in 1848, at Cracow. At that time the 
coffins of the massacred Jews were stationed before 
the church of Sainte Marie. At present they must 
guard against the pride and fanaticism of the Chris- 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 



295 



tians on one side, and the narrow-minded selfishness 
of the Jews on the other. Jacob hastened to consult 
Mann on this subject, but found him absent. But the 
young man's wishes, expressed at the late council of 
his brethren, were soon realized by an administrative 
decree. 

Jacob went to see the delegates, who in the silence 
of the night were occupied arranging for the ftmerals. 
They had at this time all authority concentrated 
in their hands. The Jew foresaw how fleeting this 
authority would be. These men were honest, but 
without the energy required for such a crisis, and 
they would in a short time lose their wits and abdi- 
cate the popular sovereignty confided to their keep- 
ing. 

The funeral details were arranged. Even the most 
intolerant of the Christians felt the necessity, in spite 
of their prejudices, of uniting for the time being with 
the Jews in perfect fraternity. Jacob passed a sleep- 
less night on one of the benches of the assembly 
room. At daybreak he again hastened to Mann's 
house. He found him a little irritated that the pop- 
ular vote had preferred Rosen to himself, and he had 
retired like Achilles to his tent. The pompous old 
fellow was awake and already surrounded with visitors 
although he had not finished his toilet. Booted, but 
in his shirt, he presented a laughable spectacle on 
account of his extreme corpulence. He, no doubt, 
noticed this himself, for he interrupted himself in the 
middle of a heated harangue, tp whiqh hi§ visitors 



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296 THE JEW. 

listened respectfully, to throw over his shoulders a 
cotton dressing-gown. 

" Ah ! " said he, " our friends the nobles have 
become, then, meek as lambs. It is they who first ask 
to embrace us. One sees that they know the pro- 
verb, — 

* Dans I'embarras 
Va chez Judas.' 

It is for us to remember the other part of the 
verse : — 

* Plus d'embarras 
Va t'en, Judas.' " 

•' The harmony is well established," said Bartold. 
" It is sincere ; we must take advantage of it." 

" No ; it is not peace, it is only a truce. The Agricul 
tural Society, representative of the nobles, continues to 
repulse us. Its secretary has sent Matthieu Rosen a 
letter, which leaves no doubt of their malevolence to- 
wards us. They wish, they say, that we should merit 
our right as citizens, as if we had not deserved that 
title since we were established on Polish soil. Feu- 
dalists, ultramontanes, fanatics, they desire war; let 
them go to the war, then. Let us not mix with them. 
Every one to his own interest." 

Thus spake the fiery Achilles, Mann, whom Henri 
Segel tried to calm. 

" You must admit, however," said he, " that Mat- 
thieu Rosen, though treated with little consideration 
by the secretary of the Agricultural Society, has been 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES, 



297 



named a delegate. Let us strike while the iron is 
hot." 

" From this iron there can only come new chains 
for us," said Mann. " They are incorrigible, these 
nobles, eaten up by pride of long descent. We shall 
have conciliations when Dumah has thrown them all 
into hell ; not before." 

" The Russian government agrees with you there," 
remarked Bartold ; " but the nobiUty is capable of 
regeneration, of amending. They commence to un- 
derstand their interests better, and if they hold out 
their hands to us, we should not refuse them." 

" No ! the nobles are blind ! " cried Mann, in a loud 
voice. " Give up all thoughts of alliance with them. 
What matters it to us what happens to them? " 

" If we keep aloof now," said Jacob, " it is the 
same as taking sides with the Russians. Let us go, 
my friends ; when we are called in the spirit of, sac- 
rifice, the cause of the weak and the oppressed ought 
to be ours." 

" It is utterly useless to reason with you, dear Jacob. 
Men of your stamp go to their ruin and perish. I 
will not oppose you, though I deplore your fate. As 
for the mass of our people, they should look out for 
their own interests and for the country." 

" Let the majority remain conservative, but not for 
that alone ; they should escape death in order to con- 
sole and succour those who survive the catastrophe." 

" There will be time enough to speak of that," said 
Mann, with a disdainful gesture. 



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298 THE JEW. 

" It is probable," replied Bartold, " that the burial 
of the victims of yesterday will be a European mani- 
festation of the regeneration of Poland. Ought we 
to be indifferent lookers on? to take no part ostensi- 
bly in the procession? in a word, to wash our hands 
ofitaU?" 

"This burial does not concern us," cried Mann. 
" None of our people have been killed. Why should 
we thrust ourselves into the quarrel ? " 

" It is not merely a burial, it is a grand political 
manifestation," said Jacob. "Before those coffins 
there will be a national appeal for vengeance against 
the assassins ; and we " — 

" We ? Let it suffice us to behold from afar that 
manifestation ! And you, Jacob, who preach with so 
much warmth a good understanding with the Chris- 
tians, as you are at the same time a fervent and 
orthodox Jew, you cannot ask us to march behind 
the coffins, side by side with the Christian clergy. 
That would be breaking one of our laws, which com- 
mands all kohen to keep at a distance from bodies of 
the dead. How much worse the impure corpses of 
men of another belief, another race." 

" I know well that the kohenin ought to abandon 
even their dying wives, if they are not of Jewish 
origin. Their contact becomes impure. But I also 
know that the law, formerly so vigorous, and not 
without a wise motive, is indulgent under ex- 
ceptional circumstances. A kohen who, in order 
to accomplish a good deed, touches a corpse is. 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 



299 



according to the conclusion of all rabbis, exempt 
from sin," 

" I do not think that can be the opinion of all the 
rabbis. However, we can easily ascertain." 

By a strange coincidence, the door opened and ad- 
mitted a dignified old man with a long white beard, clad 
in the ancient costume of a Polish Jew. All saluted him 
respectfully. He was a rabbi, generally esteemed for 
his learning and his honourable and upright charac- 
ter. His face denoted the serenity of a soul un- 
troubled by terrestrial cares. 

Mann hastened to repeat what he had said to 
Jacob, and, wishing above all to have the approbation 
of the rabbi for his doctrine of hatred and vengeance, 
he added : — 

"Ought we to forgive the nobles? Ought we to 
overlook the evils done us by them? The justice of 
God is implacable, and the hour approaches when we 
shall be avenged upon our secular oppressors." 

The old man listened attentively, then replied 
slowly and solemnly : — 

" The Rabbi Ichochua ben Levi had for a neigh- 
bour a Sadducee, who had insulted him in many ways. 
Weary of enduring these affronts, he resolved to pray 
to God for vengeance. As he was preparing to go to 
the temple to accomplish his design, he was over- 
come by a profound slumber. On awakening, he 
said : * The sweet sleep into which God plunged me 
so suddenly is a warning from on high ; a just man 
never invokes divine vengeance against his enemies.' " 



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300 THE JEW. 

Then the venerable man arose, bowed, and went 
out. Mann shrugged his shoulders, and was silent. 
His guests, most of whom were not very devout, took 
their hats, considering the question decided by the 
text of the law. In the Talmud, as in books of a 
character still more sacred, each interprets as he 
wishes. The passage proved Jacob in the right, but 
could have been perhaps contradicted by another 
passage which would put him in the wrong. Mann, 
fortunately, was not sufficiently familiar with the 
literature of Judaism to recall a text adapted to his 
argument. Jacob, triumphant, rapidly followed the 
rabbi, and kissed his hand with gratitude. 

He returned to the city, where he found that there 
had been a change in favour of the Jews. Their 
adversaries were silent, and public opinion approved 
their admittance on a fraternal footing, although the 
nobles still opposed it. Twenty-four hours had suf- 
ficed not to efface, but to mask, the prejudices of both 
parties, — prejudices of which they were ashamed, and 
which they concealed in an obscure comer of the soul 
and dared no longer show in daylight. 

The nobles were not in perfect harmony even with 
each other. Like the Jews, they held diverse opinions. 
Those among them who were the most obstinate were 
those who were not well informed as to the actual 
situation, who had learned nothing, forgotten nothing, 
and who had intrenched themselves in an exclusive 
adherence and devotion to the past. These were 
called on the streets ultramontanes, on account of 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 



301 



their importation of foreign Catholicism^ — a Catholicism 
which was monarchical and legitimist, an enemy of 
progress. Essentially different was it from Polish 
Catholicism, which was conciliatory toward republican 
ideas, but did not take sides with either party, and, 
with Copernicus, had left its luminous traces in the 
ascendant march of humanity. 

This group was Polish in its own way, perhaps by its 
attachment to the privileges of the nobility ; but it was 
by no means patriotic in its alliance in heart or spirit 
with the political reaction in Europe, which weighed 
so heavily on Poland. 

It was not easy to be conservative in Poland. It 
was to condemn one's self to incessant contradictions 
of conscience and of conduct. How can one be at the 
same time a patriot, and submit to a foreign yoke ? 
to be a Catholic, and prostrate one's self before a for- 
eign authority which persecuted Catholicism ? Weary 
of conflict, the conservative finishes by thinking only 
of saving his fortune and his social position, and pays 
no attention to the rest. 

Jacob, in wandering over the city from house to 
house, with the familiarity which always prevails in 
times of revolution, entered a circle of ultramontanes. 
The master of the house, who was seated in an easy- 
chair, which he never quitted on account of an incura- 
ble malady, had still more nerve and energy than most 
of the visitors assembled in his rooms. Here were 
genuine counts, specimens of the ancient aristocracy 
of orthodox Catholicism, and many young nobles 



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302 THE JEW, 

fresh from the Jesuit colleges of Belgium and Bavaria. 
Among all these the most remarkable was a man of 
gigantic height, of irreproachable character, of rare 
eloquence, who, on account of his habit of repeating 
the popular proverb, Jak Boga Kocham (as true as 
that I love God), had received the not very euphonious 
sobriquet of Boakoam. 

He was a descendant of a very aristocratic family, 
deprived of its former splendour by the prodigality of 
its ancestors. He lived ordinarily in the country on 
a small estate, all that remained of his fortune. 

The conversation was on the events of the day, and 
the social equality accorded to the Israelites. 

" In a hundred years," said Boakoam, " the Counts 
Z., P., and B. will have become coachmen, and their 
palaces will have passed into the hands of the R.*s, 
the K.'s, and the E.'s." 

" It is possible," replied the master of the house, 
who belonged to one of the families designated ; 
" above all, if we make many more false steps like this 
one. It will be our own fault. We shall foolishly 
ruin ourselves. We have an aversion to work, while 
the Jews are economical, laborious, and persevering." 

"Thus, that the Jews may not devour us, my dear 
count, you wish we may be transformed into Jews. 
Pretty advice ! If we must perish, let us perish at 
least as we are. Experience has demonstrated to us 
our inaptitude as financiers. To what end have come 
our navigation companies, or our industrial or com- 
mercial associations ? We have lost money on all our 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES, 303 

undertakings. Distasteful as it is to admit, I must 
confess that we have arrived at a point of irresistible 
decadence. We have organic vices, we have attained 
the height of moral weakness. I would, nevertheless, 
like to believe that we shall yet regain our old-time 
vigour." 

"To rise again," said a country gentleman, "we 
must have several chiefs, several guides in whom we 
can place confidence, as in you. Monsieur le Comte." 

"You could not have a better chief than Count 
Andr6 Zamoyski, whose name is on every lip. Virtue, 
reason, grandeur of soul, patriotism, all these qualities 
he possesses." 

"Certainly Count Andr^ is the right man, he is 
honourable and worthy ; but let us talk no more of 
politics just now," said Boakoam. 

" God preserve us from this mania of politics, un- 
reasonable and inopportune ! We can gain nothing by 
it, and it has already been the cause of many evils. 
True politics are agriculture, science, economy, and 
the amelioration of morals." 

" You are right, Monsieur le Comte," said a listener, 
" But what is to be done when, in spite of ourselves, 
the youth and the city rise in arms and draw us in ? " 

" Youth has courage and action. Imitate them. If 
you do not wish a revolution, proclaim it loudly ; not 
in any half way. I understand perfectly the blind but 
heroic ardour of these young men who offer their blood 
for their country. It is necessary that we have equal 
energy to arrest this patriotic uprising, that we do not 



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304 ^^^ 7^^' 

give them encouragement by our inertia, our weak- 
ness." 

" Then we are lost," cried a voice. 

" Oh, not when we have just concluded an alliance 
with the Jews ! " replied Boakoam. " The Jews will 
certainly save us." 

This pleasantry caused a ripple of laughter. 

" That which is certain," gravely replied the invalid, 
" is that they have more sense than we. They have 
proved it." 

"They will not lend us their good sense as they 
have loaned us their money," remarked Boakoam. 
" They know that it is a capital which we lack, and on 
which we could not pay them interest." 

" Where is the time when we did not know the Jews 
save as stewards and brokers ! One could then pluck 
the extortioner by the beard." 

''Those times, alas ! will never return," said one of 
the company in a sad voice. 

" The world is degenerating," added another. 

" Have you remarked, gentlemen," said a solemn 
personage with black hair and the Oriental type, " that 
everything is being gradually monopolized by the Is- 
raelites? They are the masters of the Bourse. Now 
the Bourse directs the world and governs the State. 
Without it, no loans and no wars. They manage public 
opinion through the press, the principal organs of 
which belong to them. In Prussia, in the rest of Ger- 
many, and in Belgium, journalism is in their hands. 
In France every newspaper has one or more Jews con- 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 



305 



nected with it. Many have seats in Parliament and 
the German Reichstag. Some are ministers or ambas- 
sadors." 

" The reason is easily to be seen," replied Boakoam. 
"The PoUsh nobles could not exist without Jewish 
factors, and took them everywhere with them on their 
travels. Europe is like us, morally and physically 
declined ; the governments are in decadence, and the 
factors do as they like." 

" French masonry," added the country gentleman, 
''and democracy have the Jews for their firm sup- 
porters." 

" But that does not agree with the Bourse, whose 
principals are far from revolutionary," objected some 
one. 

" They are," replied the gentleman, " both liberals 
and conservatives, but only in a measure. Liberals 
when they wish to undermine Catholicism, and conserv- 
atives when they have other ends to serve ; but when 
it is a question of war, they are always conservatives, 
for they do not wish war at any price." 

" Never," said Boakoam, " shall we be able to get 
rid of the Jews, and they will yet ruin us." 

" If one is ruined it is usually his own fault," re- 
plied his friend. 

"True. But how can we change now? We, who 
are accustomed to a life of ease and to liberty of 
action, is it possible for us to become tradesmen? 
The Jews understand business, have money, skill, and 
avarice. And we ? Nothing ! " 



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3o6 THE JEW, 

" Let us try to acquire these qualities." 

" How can we ? The government oppresses us and 
seeks to crush us out of existence. We are weakened 
by this cruel oppression ; where can we find strength 
for the struggle ? " 

" In a sentiment of duty." 

" Too late to lift the burden now. I know not if 
the Finis Poloniae will be accomplished, but the end 
of the Polish nobility is certain. I am afraid that we 
are doomed." 

" Listen to me, messieurs," said the master of the 
house solemnly. " I have not long to live. Every 
day death draws nearer to me, as you perceive. As 
the time to leave the world approaches, a man does 
not lie. Well, on the border of the tomb I adjure you 
not to lose faith in yourselves, for you who prophesy 
your own fall are the ones who hasten it. What have 
the nobles done since 1 791 ? Where are their labours, 
their efforts, their sacrifices? Behold them un- 
balanced, their fortunes, activity, existence, entirely 
and foolishly dissipated in libertinage and idleness. 
Immutable laws regulate ever)rthing in nature. Once 
withered, the leaf falls ; once unfaithful to its mission, 
every class of society is condemned to disappear. If, 
as you predict, the Jews are destined to supersede us, 
it will be owing to our improvidence and their 
superior virtue." 

" Frightful perspective ! " cried the country gentle- 
man piteously. " Do you say that my son may perhaps 
become steward for a Kronenberg or a Rosen? " 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 



307 



" Perhaps he would be lucky to get that position. 
If I were a Kronenberg or a Rosen I would not think 
of employing so incapable a steward as your son." 

Boakoam put an end to the conversation by this 
sally, which was a little brutal. Jacob, unable to 
contain himself longer, believed it a duty to reveal 
his identity. 

" Messieurs," said he, " pardon me for interrupting 
this discussion, but I feel it my duty to confess that I 
am a Jew." 

All eyes were turned toward him in astonishment. 
The least surprised was Boakoam and their host. 
The former burst out laughing, and cried : — 

" In that case, my dear sir, you have heard many 
curious things about your race." 

" Very curious, and I shall profit by them. As for 
your pleasantries, they have not wounded me. I 
could form some idea of how you spoke of us, by the 
way that we speak of you at our meetings. For com- 
pensation, you have finished by praising our qualities 
in such a manner as to make me very grateful. But 
your praises are more than we deserve. If we pos- 
sess some good qualities, we have also many faults, 
and I ought to acknowledge them. This alliance 
with us seems repugnant to you ; but, believe me, it 
will be for your advantage in the end. It is repug- 
nant to you because, as some one here has said, we 
smell of garlic and old clothes ; but just now you can- 
not have too many friends and allies." 

" As true as I love God," cried Boakoam, " your 



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3o8 THE yEW. 

morals are golden. But I do not believe that we can 
trust in your friendship. You will be with us as long 
as we are standing, but you will go over to the enemy 
when we fall. You will then feel only contempt for 
us, and the thirst for vengeance will awaken in your 
hearts." 

" Never ! I promise it in my name^ and in the 
names of those who think as I do. We will remain 
united in misfortune as in fortune." 

" So as to profit equally by our success or our mis- 
fortunes? I am frank, and now that we are on this 
subject, permit me to finish. I am ready to acknowl- 
edge my fault, to avow all the vices and all the errors 
imputed to the nobles, but I cannot see that your rich 
men are any better. You accuse us of foolish vanity 
and aristocratic pride ; your bankers have as much. 
The Count Andr^, who comes from a long line of 
illustrious ancestors, is much more polite, more affa- 
ble, more simple, than " — 

"I do not deny it. Money often renders men 
impertinent. I have only one excuse to offer for my 
co-religionists: it is, that repulsed by the elegant 
society, overwhelmed with sarcasm, we have not had 
the opportunity to profit by the same schooling as 
yourselves. You must civilize us by your good exam- 
ples." 

" Hear ! Hear ! " cried Boakoam. " We will teach 
you our refined manners in return for your practical 
spirit." 

" I consent," replied Jacob smiling. " One word 



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REUNION OF THE NOBLES. 309 

more : you have alluded to some of us as rude and 
having repulsive manners. Very well; even among 
these men, vain, proud, and gross, there are some 
who are benevolent; though their appearance does 
not indicate it. I have not finished. In the pres- 
ence of the representatives of the past I know not 
whether I shall be permitted to express my ideas. 
Behold them, if you will be kind enough to listen. 
Humanity will not retrograde. She has ceased to be 
led by a privileged class ; she feels her strength and 
will walk alone. The feudal privileges are dead, very 
dead." 

"You avow, however," said the dark man with 
Oriental features, " that society, freed from privileges 
and belonging to itself, will still admit a certain divi- 
sion of classes." 

" Yes ; but admittance to these classes will be given 
by personal merit, and not by birth." 

" Then we shall all be in the same boat," cried Boa- 
koam laughing, — " peasants, Jews, gypsies, bourgeoisie, 
pell-mell with us the fine flower of the aristocracy." 

" Modem theories, fatal doctrines bom of revolur 
tionary folly," remarked a pupil of the Jesuits, fresh 
from Belgium. " I believe neither in progress nor a 
new order of things. All that I see in this accursed 
age is the hand of God, which chastises us and 
plunges us into confusion and chaos." 

Saying this the disciple of Loyola took his depart- 
ure, furious. Many followed his example, while 
Jacob was making his final remarks thus : — 



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3IO THE JEW. 

"We are new citizens, but rest assured that in 
recovering our rights of citizenship after so long 
ostracism we will not refuse the accompan3dng 
duties. If until the present the Jew has not consid- 
ered himself a Pole, the fault has not been with him 
nor with Poland herself, but with the barbarity of past 
ages, to the shadows of a prolonged epoch of dark- 
ness. ' Light, light, still more light ! ' as said the 
dying Goethe, and the world will move on in the 
sight of God." 

"As true as I love God," said Boakoam, "these 
are holy words. And I must save myself, for my con- 
fessor would refuse absolution because I had dealings 
with the Old Testament, in the absence of the New. 
Good-evening." 



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THE COUNTRY WILLS IT 



3U 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

TOE COUNTRY WILLS \X. 

Events precipitated themselves with frightful rapid- 
ity. Veiled promises and secret encouragements on 
the part of Napoleon III. contributed largely to the 
development of an insurrection whose instigators 
were too confident in the diplomatic intervention of 
France, England, and Austria. A bitter disappoint- 
ment was the result, as we know. A brutal reply 
from the Russian government sufficed to make 
Europe fall back, and rendered harder than ever the 
fate of Poland. 

At the point whither our story has carried us, all 
hope of preventing a fatal catastrophe was not lost. 
Several men of influence, whose foresight was better 
than that of the foolish masses, made heroic efforts 
toward this end. Among these was our Jacob, whose 
interview with Gromof had resulted in enlightening 
him as to the fatal consequences of a premature 
revolution. 

The most of the Jews rallied around the Marquis 
Wielopolski, a double-faced man, half Russian, half 
Polish, with equivocal politics. He was clever in 
appearance, but deceitful at heart, and sought to 
please both sides. This policy was not pleasing to 



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312 THE JEW. 

the nobles, whom he held of little account \ it alienated 
the ultramontanes, and irritated the revolutionists, 
whom he tried to reduce by violent measures. The 
marquis, much more authoritative than liberal, wished 
to inaugurate that which he called the legal progress ; 
but not leaning on either party, he soon had every one 
against him. The Jews, however, sustained him for 
some time with ardour ; but he soon displeased them, 
like the others, by an absolute want of tact in his 
conduct toward them. 

Men of exalted opinions, whose only wish was to 
benefit humanity, and who desired to maintain a just 
moderation, were alienated and were left alone. 

Jacob, although of an entirely different character 
from Wielopolski, was equally unfortunate. In his 
political r61e he was no more successful than in his 
character of religious reformer. Admitted to all the 
meetings, he perceived that he had no influence 
whatever. 

He displeased the revolutionists by his wise warn- 
ings; the conservatives, by his transports of spirit; 
and the partisans of legal progress, by his spirit of in- 
dependence. He had no communication with the 
Russians, with the exception of Gromof. 

Among his own people, Mann detested him because 
he refused to bow down to him and admire him; 
for vanity was this individual's ruling passion. 

Mathilde's father was devoted body and soul to the 
palace of Bruhl, which was Wielopolski's seat, and re- 
ceived his former pupil coldly, for he did not wish to 



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THE COUNTRY WILLS IT 



313 



be ranked under the same banner. For the same 
reason Henri Segel, a zealous servant of the marquis, 
looked on him with pity. Bartold, less servile, 
nevertheless adhered to the new regime to a cer- 
tain extent, and was surprised that Jacob did not fol- 
low his example. Ivas, whose relations with his friend 
were growing cooler, accidentally met him one even- 
ing. 

" Jacob," said he, " the moment approaches when 
the country will need all her children's services. I 
was coming to ask you to pay your tribute, and I will 
give you the receipt. You have only to fix the amount 
yourself." 

" I do not dream of refusing to make all necessary 
sacrifices," replied Jacob after a moment of thought. 
** But in giving I wish to know why I give. Will you 
give me your word of honour that it is not to aid the 
revolution?" 

*' It is truly to buy arms." 

" If it is for that, I refuse. I am ready to sacrifice 
half, or more tlian half, of my fortune for Poland, but 
not one cent to light the torch of incendiarism." 

" Man of little faith and frozen soul, how can you 
be presumptuous enough to suppose that you can hin- 
der patriotic sentiments, or strong enough to overthrow 
all obstacles ! Am I not right? We are sure of the 
people ; we have the Catholic clergy, thanks to the 
marquis, who has also reconciled the masses ; and we 
count on the greater part of the Israelites. We shall 
force the nobles to come out of their intrenchments 



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314 THE JEW. 

and join us. In Russia the revolution ferments. 
Garibaldi promises us champions; Hungary^ arms^ 
men, and money. Austria is a beneficent neighbour ; 
and, to finish, France and England will undoubtedly 
aid us." 

" Softly ! Softly ! Repeat your enumerations one 
by one." 

'' If faith does not exist in you it is useless for me 
to talk further. I will listen to nothing. Will you 
give me the money ? Yes or no." 

" For the revolution, no." 

" But the necessity is urgent, my dear Jacob. We 
must have money to-day ; you cannot refuse us." 

" I refuse ; I have said it." 

" I have been your friend and defender, and I am 
still ; but above all, I am a revolutionist. Do you 
know to what you are exposed by your opinions ? To 
death, perhaps ; certainly infamy." 

" Infamy, never ! A man can only render himself 
infamous ; others cannot imprint this stain upon him. 
As for death, I do not fear it. The preservation of 
life or of fortune by the sacrifice of profound convic- 
tions is unworthy of' a true man, is cowardly. You 
can obtain nothing from me by threats ; kill me if you 
wish ; I firmly believe in the justice of God and the 
immortality of the soul. And so I am tranquil," 

Ivas laughed, and was a little touched. 

"You are a great child, my dear Jacob," said he, 
with an air of compassion. " I pity you, for you are 
not a man of this century. I regard you as a phe- 



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THE COUNTRY WILLS IT, 



315 



nomenon, as a mortal who awakes after a thousand 
years of sleep into an epoch entirely different from 
his own. Nevertheless, I esteem you." 

Jacob held out his hand silently. 

" You cannot change me," said he. " It will be 
useless for you to try it. I feel that the world which 
surrounds me is not with me ; however, as I am here, 
and I exist, it must be with some special design of 
Providence." 
♦" I return to my pecuniary wants." 

" Ivas," said Jacob, " tell me, what sum do you re- 
quire for yourself? " 

" Nothing for myself; all for the country." 

" And it is expressly to buy arms? " 

" Yes ; my conscience does not permit me to lie." 

" And mine commands me to refuse." 

" You are the first who has refused me so decid- 
edly. Your conduct is a bad example. A rigorous 
condemnation awaits you. I leave you in sorrow, for, 
Jacob, you will die." 

" I am not at all afraid to die, and your threat will 
not make me break my word." 

" I beg of you, my friend." 

" Do not supplicate me ; it is in vain. Tell me that 
you will use the money to save men pursued by the 
Russian government, to facilitate their flight, and ena- 
ble them to live, and I am ready to reduce myself to 
poverty for that ; but for your insane revolution, not 
a rouble." 

^' I do not insist^ but " -^ 



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3i6 THE JEW, 

" Very well. Have you seen Gromof ? " 

" Twenty times." 

"What have you replied to his argument? " 

"That he is a Russian; consequently, ardent in 
words, and timid in action. For the Russians the 
opportune moment never arrives. Their former con- 
spiracies were broken up by a word from Nicholas ; a 
word sufficed to calm a popular disturbance. A weak- 
kneed race, they are still as cowardly as then. I be- 
lieve Gromof to be an agent of the police. He^is 
suspected." 

" What he says accords with the actual situation." 

" I am one of those," said Ivas, " who will not 
listen to reasoning. Good sense, circumspection, are 
empty words for us. Hurrah for blessed exultation ! 
Hurrah for ardour pushed almost to folly ! We will 
march against the troops with our batons, convinced 
of being victorious." 

" You are heroes," said Jacob, " and I admire you ; 
but have you counted the cost? How long will this 
exaltation last? How many are there that feel as you 
do?" 

"A hundred, or a million, what does it matter? 
The masses will follow us." 

" The masses will be reduced to a handful of men, 
most of them adventurers who will do more harm 
than good." 

" Stop, you weary me. Adieu, egotist, I w^ash my 
hands of what will happen to you." 

" But before leaving in this hostile fashion, give me 



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THE COUNTRY WILLS IT 



317 



your hand as formerly, Ivas, and may God's will be 
done ! " 

Ivas hesitated. 

" No," cried he. "I have ceased to be your friend, 
and in the future I will be your enemy." 

" Are you insane, Ivas ? " 

" I belong entirely, body and soul, to the cause of 
the revolution ; no more friendship. Good-night." 

" Wait a moment." 

"You will give us the money? " 

" Impossible." 

" You persist in not sacrificing your personal feel- 
ings to the interest of the country ? " 

"Not contrary to my convictions, my principles, 
never ! " 

Ivas was carried away by his enthusiasm, but was 
at heart honest and loving. At the threshold of the 
door strong emotion seized him; he returned and 
stood near Jacob. 

" After all," said he with tears in his eyes, " I 
esteem you. Let us embrace." 

They threw themselves" into each other's arms. 

As he was on the point of leaving he said in a 
grave voice : — 

" But if to-morrow I receive the order to kill you 
for your disobedience to the revolutionary committee, 
I will come with cold blood to stab you. The country 
above everything." 

"Blind heroism, which I respect without sharing. 
These are frightful times we are living in. How 



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3iS THE JEW. 

horrible is the regime which inspires hatred, and 
familiarizes honest souls with crime, and transforms 
an old friend into an assassin ! What will not be the 
responsibility before God of governments whose t)n'an- 
•nous acts have engendered such despair ! " 

Ivas, without replying, left him with emotion. 

Jacob expected to receive on the morrow his sen- 
tence of death, but it did not arrive either that day 
or later on. Ivas spoke on his friend's behalf, and 
he was not even declared a traitor to his country. 
All the revolutionists there understood Ivas, and 
ceased to have any relations with Jacob, who was 
considered from that day as a man from whom the 
revolutionary party had nothing to expect. 

All this is true. The entire scene is scrupulously authentic. 
Author's note. 



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A FATHER'S GRIEF. 



319 



CHAPTER XIX. 
A father's grief. 

Two days after the dramatic scene that we have 
just related Jacob was alone at his house, when he 
was surprised by a visit from Jankiel Meves, he who 
had furnished Ivas his first shelter. The old man, 
who appeared to be very sad, commenced by saying 
that he had profited by a sojourn in Warsaw to once 
more see Jacob, for whom he had the greatest esteem 
and whom he considered the hope of Israel. Then 
he spoke of the troubles of the country, and Jacob 
told him of the situation, and of his vain efforts to 
restrain the impetuous youth of the city from certain 
defeat; he added that he was discouraged, for his 
advice had been rejected with contempt, indignation, 
or rage. 

"That is no reason," replied the visitor, "for 
abandoning your mission of peace, which is a divine 
inspiration. All truths," added he, "are at first 
badly received by men, but they soon take root, and 
often the very ones that shrugged their shoulders and 
refused to listen are the ones who become the most 
fliervent converts." 

*' Thanks for your consoling words," replied Jacob ; 
''you reawaken hope within my heart." 



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320 THE JEW, 

" Alas ! I seek consolation from you," cried Jan- 
kiel; "I am an unfortunate father, a prey to the 
greatest sorrow. In my house shame and mourning 
are unwelcome guests. A serpent has glided secretly 
into my home, and has left his venom." 

" I dare not ask you to explain your words," said 
Jacob. 

" But I wish to tell you all. It is no secret ; evil 
is difficult to conceal when the malefactor is proud of 
it. Of what use to me is the wealth that I have 
amassed by the sweat of my brow ? To-day my most 
cherished daughter is no more to me than a stranger, 
and Lia is dead to her father ! You know the David 
Seebachs, father and son. Accursed house, where the 
holy laws are neglected and ridiculed ! Why has my 
daughter looked towards that dwelling? Would that 
she had died rather than that. Lia, my Lia, has 
been seduced by the younger David, who afterward 
abandoned her to her shame. And I — I ought 
to refuse her a refuge under my roof, so that she may 
not contaminate her pure and innocent sister, who 
laments the poor unfortunate in the most abandoned 
grief. My coffers are full of money, but Lia, perhaps, 
will be tortured with hunger ! David was married ; 
it was not known, for he lived apart from his wife. 
You saw Lia when you were at my house. Poor child, 
she believed in him ; she was beautiful, but now she 
is a wreck ; so young, what will become of her ? " 

With these words the old man wept bitterly, and 
in his despair tore his hair. 



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A FATHER* S GRIEF, 



321 



" You are," continued he, "honest and good; do 
not repulse me. Aid me. I am her father ; honour 
demands that I keep aloof from my fallen child, — I 
who press the chaste lips of another daughter. My 
heart is broken, and I come to you." 

" I am at your service," said Jacob gently. 
"Where is the unfortunate?" 

" Here in Warsaw. But I am not permitted to see 
her; she dares not appear before me. The vile 
seducer has left her dishonoured. \Vho knows to 
what degree of misery she may fall ! I have brought 
money for her ; but, for her as for myself, there must 
be silence as to whence it comes. Will you take 
charge of it ? " 

"Certainly. I am at your service." 

" I have the money with me. Take it and procure 
for her a shelter and a tranquil existence, where she 
at least can mourn in solitude, far from mocking 
sneers. Let her want for nothing. This is the ser- 
vice I beg you to do for me." 

The old man took from his pocket a wallet, and 
tearing it open with trembling hands placed on the 
table several bank-notes of value, and a piece of pa- 
per bearing in Hebrew Lia*s address. 

Then embracing Jacob, " I leave for home to-day," 
murmured he, his voice broken by his sobs. " The 
air of this city oppresses me. Write to me. No, no ! 
don't write. I will return. You will tell me all. Save 
her. The child is weak and accustomed to tenderness. 
Now she must meet misery, labour, suffering." 



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323 THE JEW. 

** Cease from lacerating your heart," said Jacob. 
"Trust me, I will be a faithful friend." 

"Do not spare expense," cried the poor father. 
Don't think of economy. I will supply you \^ith 
more, but I beg of you not to let her know where it 
comes from ; rather let her believe that distant rela- 
tives have aided her, that God has touched their 
hearts in her behdf." 

With these words Jankiel raised his eyes to heaven. 
A passage of the Psalms came to his mind, and he re- 
cited a prayer. Jacob was affected almost to tears. 

" I thank you for your confidence," said he. " I 
feel honoured by it, as you know me so slightly." 

"I have heard much good of you," replied Jan- 
kiel, " and I was called to open my heart to you as 
to a compassionate physician. Farewell ! " 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS. 323 



CHAPTER XX. 

MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS. 

Since the evening when Jacob had shown himself 
so much like Joseph in his interview with Muse, the 
relations between him and that young lady had grad- 
ually cooled. This resulted from an understanding 
between mother and daughter. They saw that his 
capture was not probable, yet resolved not to break 
entirely with him, but to keep him as a reserve. Henri 
Segel, although married, was much more promising. 
Muse did not deceive herself as to the nature of his 
love for her. It was a love which was not likely to 
prove lasting, but often led, when at its full height, to 
great follies Madame Wtorkowska, again unsettled, 
insisted on the necessity of enlarging their circle of 
acquaintances, and said to her daughter : — 

" These idiots do not appreciate you at your true 
value, and I am inclined to seek acquaintances among 
the Russians. They love society, and are better judges 
of grace and beauty than these foolish Varsovians. 
Let us attract them to us." 

"An excellent idea, mamma. With the Russians 
an accomplished woman endowed with talents is a 
rarity ; with us she is more common, and must have 
all kinds of accomplishments. With a man like Jacob 



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324 THE JEW, 

all efforts are thrown away. He is an honest man, but 
utterly insensible. Why, I almost embraced Judaism, 
but that did not melt him. This acting fatigues me, 
and I have no desire to prolong it ; we can never ob- 
tain anything from him j never ! I proved it in our 
last interview. Without having any particular affection 
for Henri, I avow, mamma, that I count on him. He 
is mine. Mathilde gets weaker every day. She fades 
before our very eyes ; but suppose she recovers — she 
is no obstacle. She has no children. Divorce is 
common with the Jews. Here is a husband for me 
worth having." 

" My dear child, the honeymoon would be sweet ; 
but afterward would he make you happy ? He does 
not altogether please me." 

" As for me," said Muse, " I am not afraid. I 
know how to manage him; and as for Jacob, he 
wearies me. He is too good, too pathetic." 

As the result of this conversation. Colonel Sofronof 
and the Major lerasimofskoy were introduced into 
the house of Madame Wtorkowska, who essayed to 
dazzle them by the elegance of her receptions. Muse 
captivated them both. Sofronof fell seriously in love, 
but as he was a practical man, much occupied with 
politics, he resolved to " kill two birds with one 
stone," and find out as much as he could in regard to 
existing affairs. He questioned Muse as to the opin- 
ions of her friends, ignorant that although she culti- 
vated all, she had none. She had adapted herself to 
circumstances, she had sung patriotic hymns; but 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS, 



325 



with the same ardour she had learned the Russian 
songs ^^Boge tsara Khrani " (" May God preserve the 
Tsar ") and the " Red Sarafane," and on her piano lived 
in harmony, Polish inspirations and the official composi- 
tions of Lvof and Glinka to the glory of holy Russia. 

The assiduity of the colonel led the mother and 
daughter to affect conservative opinions. They 
mocked at the revolutionists and the patriots, and all 
this accorded well with their aristocratic tone and 
manner of living. 

Sofronof was a man of consummate cunning. Be- 
fore he knew these ladies well he had believed them 
ardent Poles, and was very careful not to shock 
the opinions which he supposed they held. He 
spoke with great respect of the glories of ancient 
Poland, with pity of the sorrows of Poland of to- 
day. At the beginning of his passion for Muse he 
had been tempted, practical Russian as he was, to 
implicate the young lady in some political intrigue, 
and to have her imprisoned for two or three months 
in the citadel. Then he could pursue in the gloomy 
shadows of a cell the first chapters of his romance. 
The thing would not be difficult, the arrest easy ; he 
had so many friends in the council of war. After 
some reflection, however, he abandoned this fine proj- 
ect, which had already been more than once put in 
execution by the gallant officers of the Tsar. Rus- 
sians are so eccentric that their love-making even is 
somewhat original. 

After some visits the colonel decided that he could 



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326 THE JEW, 

be frank in his language with these ladies, without 
danger of wounding their Polish susceptibilities. 
Madame Wtorkowska spoke with enthusiasm of the 
reigning dynasty, and was pleased to recall memories 
of the reigns of Nicholas and of Alexander I., from 
whom her mother, as she said, had received a present 
of an amethyst necklace. She did not say for what 
service it was given ; one could divine it. Muse, as 
liberal in words as it is permitted to be under the 
Russian regime, approved the emancipation of the 
serfs, and exalted the other reforms of Alexander II. 
Like her mother, she was careful to condemn the rev- 
olutionists. Sofronof understood, after having listened 
to these ladies, that the salon where his good fortune 
had led him could easily become the centre of an ac- 
tive political reaction. 

On intimate terms with Muse, a good musician and 
an ardent dilettante, he pursued a plan of conduct in 
which he did not forget the possibility of eventual 
marriage. With the usual bUndness of men newly 
arrived in a strange country, he was thoroughly de- 
ceived as to Madame Wtorkowska's social position. 
Neither they, nor their manners, nor their borrowed 
elegance opened his eyes to their true character. 
He took for real their false luxury, their pretended 
relations with the great world. Yet he was a little 
surprised, without knowing why, with the silence and 
the smiles that always followed the name of Wtor- 
kowska ; but he attributed this to Polish malevolence 
at the Russian proclivities of the ladies. 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE JRUSSIANS. 



327 



Muse knew well how to attract, encourage, and put 
her visitors at ease. After each visit the colonel was 
expected to return the next day. It was a commis- 
sion with which he was charged, some desired infor- 
mation, or some promised anecdote. The mother 
could not have been more accommodating. She 
often made the cares of housekeeping a pretext for 
leaving them alone, and when she did remain, she 
appeared a little deaf. Sofronof was delighted with 
her. 

At the end of some weeks he one day found himself 
alone with Muse. 

" Mademoiselle," said he, " pardon me if I inflict on 
you a serious conversation, for I wish to express all 
that is in my heart. I wish to tell you of an occupa- 
tion which absorbs me. You and madame your 
mother can, I believe, have a happy influence on 
present events. Why not profit by it? The revolu- 
tion is imminent. We are here, yet we are, in spite 
of the military forces at our disposal, in an almost un- 
known country, and we are embarrassed to know the 
right way to maintain public order. You can be of 
great use to us." 

" How? " cried Muse. " We are only women." 

"Women play a primary r61e in Poland. They 
are involved in everything." 

" But those are women of the lower class, not of 
the higher order, the aristocracy." 

** Why should not a woman of the upper class who 
has opinions suit herself? " 



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328 THE JEW, 

*' Women who are comme il faut cannot compro- 
mise themselves in the streets." 

** They can act without leaving their homes." 

" But why plunge us into these political questions? " 

" In ordinary times it would be wrong for you to 
take any part, but in troubled periods like these it is 
your duty. The government has the right to ask 
your aid for the general good." 

" And in what way can we be useful ? " 

" By enlightening us as to the situation. I swear 
to you that I have the good of the country at heart, 
within just limits and a firm union with Russia. 
Unfortunately, I and others can find out nothing." 

Muse understood what he wished. She blushed at 
the suggestion, but the blush faded away rapidly. 
Lending herself to the coloneFs views would, she 
thought, give her great power. It would raise her to 
great heights. Her imagination transported her al- 
most to the steps of the throne, to the imperial dais. 
She looked at herself in the glass, and thought that 
her dreams of being at court had now some chance 
of being realized ; and under this impression she re- 
plied ; — 

"Dear colonel, speak to me with entire freedom, 
I will listen." 

" Be my counsellor and my guide," said Sofronof. 
"You have many friends. You see much society. 
Aid me to understand them ; walk with me hand in 
hand." 

Muse blushed, but said nothing and hung her head. 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS. 



329 



" I do not like politics and its embarrassing compli- 
cations," said she. " However, if, as you think, I am 
capable of making myself useful, I will devote myself 
to the work heart and soul. But taking part in poU- 
tics is like playing with fire, — one is often burned. In 
my situation as demoiselle, above all, this occupation 
might ruin my reputation and destroy my future. It 
is so easy now-a-days to fall under suspicion." 

"Why entertain such fears," replied the colonel 
smiling. " You will come to Petersburg. There you 
will have the best reception. And every man on 
whom you deign to throw a glance from those irre- 
sistible black eyes will esteem himself happy, no mat- 
ter how high his rank." 

He paused ; the hidden meaning of his words had 
been rendered intelligible to Muse by some foreign 
overtures. She judged that it was not worth while to 
be too particular at this crisis, and replied gayly : — 

" Now, then, my dear colonel, you have not under- 
stood me. I n^erely wished to say that politics often 
cause much trouble." 

Without further discussion they came to an under- 
standing. 

Some days after, Madame Wtorkowska's salon was 
thrown open with pomp. The assembly was, indeed, 
a motley one, and had been gathered from all 
classes ; there were all kinds, — white, gray, red, blue. 
This was according to Sofronofs advice, and in this 
way was formed a neutral ground whereon all might 
meet on an equal footing. Jacob was there, and 



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330 THE JEW, 

found himself more of a spectator than an actor. 
Since that famous evening when Muse reproduced 
scenes from the Bible, she had been very cold towards 
him. She no longer invited him to little games of 
cards, she sent him no more notes, and engaged him 
for no sentimental promenades. This change suited 
Jacob better than the attentions of former days. 
Henri Segel, also, was a regular visitor, and in the 
midst of the Russians was in his element ; he paid 
court to them, accepted their invitations to dine, 
and invited them to his house. Mathilde, who under 
Jacob's influence had risen to a higher sphere intel- 
lectually and morally, was much disturbed by these 
incessant amusements. But her power was very lim- 
ited, almost nothing. Absolute mistress of her own 
apartment, surrounded by her flowers and books, 
she lived a stranger in her own house. Her husband 
simply announced to her that such guests would dine 
with them that day, and often presented them to her 
without asking her consent. At table, the turn of the 
conversation was often displeasing to her. Her hus- 
band perceived it, but did not care. 

Jacob, absorbed in the political situation, came 
rarely, as he was now sure to meet the Russians, 
whose frequent appearance at Mathilde's house was 
repugnant to him. He could not expect frankness 
from them ; and he could not, in his turn, express 
himself freely before them, and this constraint put him 
in a disagreeable and trying situation. 

Presumption and obstinacy usually accompanies a 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE 



V 



to" 
to ^ 



civilization as imperfect and superf 
Russians. To appear progressive 
often, in conversation, express advi 
they do not dream of putting in pi 
ity they reply by falsehoods. 

Mathilde's life became more lonely and more 
isolated; she wasted away. Her cough increased, 
and she was consumed with fever. She passed entire 
days with her music endeavouring to forget her weari- 
some life. This distraction weakened her strength, 
but she refused to submit to any treatment. At night 
she read, creating thus an artificial imaginary world. 
Her only consolation, her only joy, was to talk with 
Jacob, in whom alone she had confidence; but he 
liked to come only when Henri and some of his 
new friends were amusing themselves. Then Jacob 
hastened to make a rapid examination of the prog- 
ress of the malady which seemed to be consuming 
the young woman, and she looked attentively at him 
to discover if his brow was more gloomy, more care- 
worn. Afterward they pressed each other's hands, 
and separated. 

It happened one evening at tea that no one was 
near Mathilde when Jacob arrived but the old Eng- 
lish governess, who had become a friend of the house. 
He found Madame Segel very much changed. 

" How rarely you come," cried Mathilde. " I 
know it is not indifference on your part, but if I had 
not perfect confidence in you, I should accuse Muse 
of depriving me of your society." 



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/ 

/ 

/ 

i THE JEW. 

" Why do you speak of her? " 

^' Because it is evident that she has given entertain- 
ments in your honour." 

"In my honour and in honour of a dozen 
others ; Colonel Sofronof, and also Henri, your lord 
and master." 

" I am not surprised that her fresh and blooming 
beauty pleases Henri more than my pallor and fatigue. 
There he finds smiles and songs, here sighs and tears. 
I do not wonder that he prefers her." 

" Well, I do," said Jacob. 

" If he were more devoted, I should reproach my- 
self for not loving him. He is just as I wish him to 
be, polite, cold, and he leaves me entirely alone. It 
is some time now since Muse captivated him, but why 
should we care ? What matters it to us? " 

" Henri's conduct is indelicate " — 

"What matters it, when I do not love him? " 

Jacob walked up and down the room, and then 
stopped near Mathilde and looked at her fixedly. 

" Pardon me," said he ; *' but a wild idea has just 
come into my mind." 

« What idea ? Tell me quickly." 

"Divorce." 

" No, no ! " cried she. " I do not wish to bring 
to one whom I love with all my soul the miserable 
remains of my life, a broken heart and a sick body. 
Your idea is wicked and foolish. We have no right 
to seek happiness through scandal. Happiness gained 
thus will soon cease. Are we not happy as we are ? 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS. 



333 



What more can we wish? We can see each other 
often, talk, and press each other's hands, and we 
ought to be satisfied. To come nearer would, per- 
haps, prove a disenchantment for us both. Let us 
not renounce a supportable existence for dreams. 
Humiliated, faded, and weak, I am no longer the girl 
you formerly loved. No, no ! Jacob, in the name 
of our love, never mention that word again. Do not 
tempt me ; do not make me dream of happiness that 
can never be realized ; it is impossible." 

"The impossibility is only in your imagination. 
The thing is very feasible, dear Mathilde. What is 
there to bind you to your husband. He is as indif- 
ferent to you as you are to him. You have no 
children." 

" Do not make me blush, Jacob. A woman should 
belong to but one man ; whatever be her lot, happy 
or unhappy, she should submit, and be humble and 
resigned. I cannot commence life over again, and, 
moreover, I am standing on the threshold of the 
tomb, while your life has just begun." 

" I thought that you loved me, Mathilde, as much 
as I love you ! " 

" More, for I have courage to sacrifice myself for 
your happiness. You cannot imagine how this idea 
of belonging to you has troubled my spirit. I assure 
you it has tempted me more than once, and I have 
always put it from me, as I do now. Have pity on 
me, do not oblige me to weep. I am weak, do not 
take advantage of my weakness." 



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334 ^^^ y^^' 

" But this man is unworthy of you." 

" Unworthy or not, I married him." 

" And if he himself desired the divorce, would you 
hinder him ? " 

" Have you any reason for saying that? " 

" No." 

" Very well, then, say no more. Even if he desert 
me, I will refuse to be yours." 

" This is folly, Mathilde." 

" No, it is love. The true love of a woman who 
can love chastely. To give you my hand would be to 
put you in his place. After him ; oh, no ! that would 
be too humiliating." 

" You are an angel, but I wish you to be a woman." 

" Let us seek rather to elevate ourselves above this 
idle humanity." 

" Perhaps you can attain this ideal, but I cannot." 

" I can understand," said Mathilde with a slight 
blush. " I can understand an instant of aberration, 
a sudden and unforeseen fall ; but I have no sympathy 
with the profanation of conscience by a designing 
woman. She who has pressed two men to her bosom, 
becomes afterward like an inn open to aU. One only ! 
only one for life and death ! " 

" And that only one, Henri ! " 

" No, it is not he 1 It is you, Jacob ; he has only 
my body, you have my soul." 

After a moment of exaltation she continued : — 

" Tell me," said she, " do you really believe in the 
immortality of the soul and a Hfe beyond the tomb? " 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS. 



335 



"Yes, I believe it. Otherwise man would have 
been an aspiration that God would not have realized. 
How else can we account for the desire for immortality 
that each one bears within his soul ? Why should we 
suppose that this presentiment, this divination of a 
future existence, should be an illusion? As to the 
conditions of the future life we are ignorant. Man 
dreams that he will awaken the same as when he closes 
his eyes here below. That is perhaps an error ; but 
one sure thing is, that the soul will not lose acquired 
virtues nor the reward for suffering, courageously en- 
dured. Certainly there is another world." 

" You throw balm on my spirit ; I desire to believe, 
but it is in vain that I search for faith in books. They 
puzzle me, and I always end by being confirmed in an 
ignorance which can be expressed in these words : I 
know nothing." 

** Yes ; but one does not draw faith from books, it 
proceeds from an inner voice." 

"But this uncertainty; everywhere this dreadful 
uncertainty. Virtue, science, reason itself are so 
many spider webs which are torn by every wind. Yet 
it is frightful to die with this idea of annihilation in 
one's heart." 

" Belief in God warrants us in this hope for the 
future. God cannot be unjust. He could not have 
implanted in us such strong and persistent hopes to 
make a cruel mockery of us. It is inadmissible if one 
believe in him. Have confidence in God and keep 
his commandments." 



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336 THE JEW. 

"But where is this law of God? In the books 
called holy? They differ; some of them are sup- 
posed to be revelation, others simple popular le- 
gends. How uncertain everything is, cold, empty, 
frightful ! " 

With these words she trembled, as if the spectre 
of death had appeared before her. Then she 
went to the piano, and played one of Chopin's 
touching fantasies, while Jacob listened. Some one 
put a hand on her shoulder, and Mathilde gave a 
little cry of fright. The dream was over. This was 
reality. Henri, with a cigar in his mouth, appeared 
before her. 

" You have at last deigned to remember us," said 
he jokingly to Jacob. "You haven't been here 
for a long while. Mathilde, will you order the 
tea? What time is it? Nine o'clock. At ten I 
must be at the chateau. I have scarcely time to dress 
and to take tea, which is much better than I get there, 
in spite of their golden cups ; but how can you stay 
in this room, it is freezing." 

" I have not felt cold," said Jacob. 

"The music has warmed you, then. Have you 
heard Muse play Liszt's last fantasie ? It is stupefy- 
ing." 

"Muse's execution is marvellous, but she pla3rs 
without expression." 

" Profane blasphemer I " 

Jacob said no more, and Henri looked at his 
watch. 



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MUSE CULTIVATES THE RUSSIANS, 



Z7>1 



" That which exasperates me is the white cravat ; 
but one meets the best society at the chateau. The 
Namiestnik is one of the most courteous men in the 
world." 

" Good-night," said Jacob, taking his hat. 

" Good-night." 



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338 THE JEW. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

LIA. 

Jacob sought for two days the place where Lia had 
concealed herself. He at last obtained some infor- 
mation about her, and found that the poor girl's misery 
was horrible'i but that she had endured it uncom- 
plainingly and with angelic patience. She lived in 
the rue des Jardins^ called thus because of the gar- 
dens which formerly abounded there, most of which 
had long since disappeared. Th6 house was old and 
In bad repair, but it still possessed a small garden 
planted with fruit-trees. Under the shadow of the 
apple and pear trees grew beets, carrots, potatoes, 
and onions, also strawberries and raspberry bushes. 
In the centre rose a magnificent linden- tree, the pride 
of the proprietor. This tree gave shade, as well as 
some profit from its flowers and its bees. In many 
places the old and ruined house was propped up to 
keep it from falling, and the shingles on the roof, 
were covered with a thick moss. In the lower part 
lived Jewish families blessed with many children; 
Lia lived on the floor above. 

At the door Jacob met the landlady. She was 
very fat, and muffled up in an apron of foulard, on 
which the portrait of Napoleon I. was printed. At 



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LIA. 



339 



his first question regarding the lodger he sought, she 
looked at him suspiciously, and replied : — 

" The woman for whom you ask lives here, but she 
receives no one. If, however, monsieur, your busi- 
ness is important " — 

" Yes ; I come on business." 

** In that case you will find her in her room. She 
occasionally comes down to the garden, and sits 
under the shade of our linden. She has no right to 
the garden, but she is a poor girl, sweet and quiet. 
I pity her. Do you know her, monsieur ? " 

"Very little, hardly at all ; but I have been sent by 
the family," said Jacob, somewhat embarrassed. 

" Her family ! At last, then, they have remem- 
bered the poor abandoned one. Oh, my good mon- 
sieur, she has suffered greatly ! Go I Take the stairs. 
You will find a bell near her room ; but if you pre- 
fer it, I will announce you. Your name? Perhaps 
she will refuse to see you." 
•** She will not recognize my name," replied Jacob. 

" In that case, do as you think best, monsieur ; to 
the. right." 

The staircase was old and di^y, with broken and 
uneven steps, and in place of a balustrade a rope 
was strung from one end to the other. Through the 
open doors of the rooms he could see large chinks in 
the walls through which came the heat and rain in 
summer, the cold and snow in winter. 

Jacob knocked two or three times at the door ; re- 
ceiving no response, he decided to open it gently. 



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340 THE JEW. 

The spectacle which met his eyes was heartrending. 
A chamber, or rather a miserable garret, destitute of 
furniture, was dimly lighted by a Httle window sunk 
in the wall. In one comer was a pallet, and by its 
side an old broken-down cradle which had done ser- 
vice for several generations. With her head leaning 
on a table a young woman slept. She had evidently 
been overcome suddenly by fatigue, for she still held 
in her hand some coarse cloth on which she had been 
working. Her feet touched the cradle in which re- 
posed a feeble and sickly babe. The nourishment 
that the poor little thing drew from the maternal 
breast was not sufficient to develop its strength and 
vitality. 

Lia opened her eyes, swollen with slumber ; she be- 
lieved that the intruder had made a mistake in the 
room, and remained silent and inert. Her sunken eyes 
and sad but calm expression denoted habitual suffering 
with resignation to misery. 

Jacob stood on the threshold, undecided. Lia 
spoke at last and said : '^ Monsieur, what do you wish ? 
Why do you come here ? Who are you ? " 

" I come from your relations." 

" I have no relations ; I am an orphan," replied 
she apprehensively. 

** I am sent for your good," said Jacob. " Do not 
be afraid. I do not bring bad news," said he ten- 
derly. 

"I do not expect news from anybody," cried she; 
" leave me, I implore you I " 



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UA. 341 

With these words her terror increased, yet her 
slightest movement was graceful, full of candour and 
charm. 

Jacob commenced by speaking of her native place. 
She began to weep bitterly. 

"They have forgotten me there," murmured she. 
*' Oh, do not try to deceive me ! Yet," added she, 
looking at him fixedly, " you have the appearance of a 
good and honest man. Why should I fear you ? " 

" You have no occasion for fear, my poor girl." 

Just then the babe awoke and commenced to 
stretch out its little arms. The mother forgot her 
sorrows and the presence of a stranger ; she leaned 
over the cradle, over the only link that bound her to 
life, and caressed the frail creature, smiled, and spoke 
to him in a language which listeners do not compre- 
hend, but which is intelligible to babies before they 
can speak. In this dark picture it seemed hke a ray 
of sunshine. The infant soon slept again, soothed by 
his mother's caresses. During this scene Lia's beau- 
tiful hair became unloosed ; it fell over her shoulders 
in thick tresses whose length denoted that she was 
unmarried, for the Jewish law obliges married women 
to wear their hair short. She blushingly repaired the 
disorder of her toilet and offered her visitor the only 
chair in the room, while she sat down timidly on the 
edge of the bed. 

In the meanwhile Jacob had examined the room ; a 
few iron pots on the little stove showed that Lia did 
her own cooking ; stretched on a ladder against the 



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342 THE JEW. 

wall some linen was dr5ring. In spite of poverty the 
room was exquisitely clean, and from the open win- 
dow could be seen the trees, while the birds sang in 
the garden. 

" Your family have sent me," said Jacob. " Your 
friends have perhaps been too severe, but they still 
love you. You are in want of" — 

" No, I am very well where I am. The house is 
quiet, no one disturbs me, no one questions me ; at first 
it was a little trying, but now I am accustomed to it." 

" If not for yourself, it is necessary for your child 
that you should leave this unwholesome place. That 
is the object of my visit ; you must take a better 
lodging and a maid to help you." 

Lia looked at Jacob, and her eyes filled with tears. 

" But I desire nothing," said she. 

" I bring you money," replied Jacob. 

" I will not have it. I refuse this charity. I can 
work for my baby and myself." 

" Your work will kill the poor little one who is dy- 
ing for want of nourishment." 

" Why should he live with my shame graven on his 
brow ? He is my consolation, my only joy, but how 
much better would it have been for him never to have 
been born ! " 

" Do not despair ; have confidence in divine good- 
ness. You have been deceived by a wicked man." 

" Wicked ! Ah, yes, very wicked ! I, who believed 
his words ; I, who loved him so — perhaps he has sent 
you?" 



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LIA. 



343 



" No." 

" Swear it ! " cried Lia. 

" I swear it," replied Jacob. 

" Then who is the charitable person ? " 

" It is enough for you to know that it is not he. 
As for the person from whom I come, it is a near re- 
lation, but you must not ask the name ; I am not 
permitted to tell you. Confide in me. I will find you 
a quiet house where you will be protected." 

" Oh, no ! no protector, I wish to be alone." 

" As you please ; but at least you must leave here, 
and permit me to leave you a small sum for your im- 
mediate expenses." 

" God is merciful, but man is wicked ! I cannot 
believe that I can find a better place than this, where 
I am concealed and ignored ; elsewhere they may be 
curious." 

" Do not fear. I assure you I will find an asylum 
as retired as this, but more commodious." 

*' God is merciful ! " repeated Lia. She kissed the 
infant's brow^ and held out to Jacob a wasted hand^ 
wasted by fatigue and poverty. 

" I have been deceived once," said she ; " but not- 
withstanding all that, I have confidence in you. Some 
one has thought of me enough to send you ; perhaps 
they weep and love me still ; but if it were not for my 
baby I would not leave this place. I cannot earn 
enough for two. I have had frightful days: only a 
cup of water, a crust of dry bread, and not a cent for 
milk. I knew not where to find work. I lost my 



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344 ^^^ y^^' 

head. I wished to die, yet the child demanded life. 
What terrible nights have I passed in cold and hun- 
ger while the child tore my heart with its cries. Oh, 
you cannot imagine greater torture ! " 

*'You will be delivered now/' said Jacob gently. 
"But one thing that I cannot understand is why 
you did not demand of the seducer aid for his 
child." 

" I ! " cried she. " I accept anything from that 
wretch ! Before doing that I would a thousand times 
rather die, and see my child die. He wished to give 
me an income for life, and I threw his money in his 
face. He is a stranger to me, and my child shall 
never know him ; he would have reason to blush for 
his father. Never shall my lips utter his cursed 
name, and I will efface it from my memory." 

Jacob soothed her, and gradually reassured she 
asked : — 

"Have you come from my house? Have you 
seen the old man whose name I dare not utter, the 
old man with a white beard, and the afflicted mother, 
and the sister who suffers for my shame, and the 
house where all were so happy before my folly con- 
verted it into a house of mourning and covered it 
with shame?" 

" No, I have not been there recently." 

" I believe I recognize you now. I saw you once 
when we were all so happy. You came one Sabbath, 
did you not? and you had a long and serious interview 
with the aged man." 



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LIA. 



345 



" Yes. And I have not been there since that 
time." 

" But he lives, does he not ? They have completely 
forgotten me ? " 

" Yes, they are all living. God is pitiful, and his 
pity will extend to you." 

"His greatest mercy for me and for my child 
would be for us to die." 

" Life may yet have many pleasant things in store 
for you." 

" Never ! " 

Jacob tried to divert her thoughts, and rose to go, 
saying : — 

*' To-morrow or the next day I will return myself 
or I will send for you. I will seek a more commo- 
dious lodging and a servant for you. Here is money 
for your urgent expenses and for new clothes." 

He placed the money on the table. Lia was really 
so poorly clad that it was unpleasant for her to show 
herself on the streets. 

" Cheer up," added Jacob ; " I will look out for 
you." 

Lia became frightened again ; she wished to speak, 
but the words died on her lips, and her heart beat 
violently ; her doubts returned, and Jacob divined it 
and said : — 

"All that I have told you is absolutely true. I 
will never trouble you ; it will be from a distance and 
invisible that I shall protect you. I beg of you do 
not misjudge me." 



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346 THE JEW. 

He bowed respectfully, and Lia, seeing that he 
had read her thoughts, repented of her unjust sus- 
picions, and bowed in return. After he had gone 
she returned to the cradle and embraced the sleep- 
ing infant. 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 347 



CHAPTER XXII. 

THE OLD MOTHER. 

Carried away in the whirl of active city life, Jacob, 
since his residence in Warsaw, had had little commu- 
nication with his family, who had remained in his native 
province. Twice a year he received, by letter, his 
mother's blessing, and news of his sister and elder 
brother. Despite the intellectual distance which 
education had put between him and his relations, 
he did not forget them, and he scrupulously ac- 
quitted himself of his duties as son and brother. 
Since the recent political disturbances he had been 
deprived of a correspondence from which he always 
derived much pleasure, and to the regularity of 
which he was accustomed, and he felt a certain in- 
quietude in consequence. 

One day, on returning home, he was informed by 
his servant that an old woman, dressed in strange 
&shion, who said she was a near relation, waited to 
see him. In saying this the servant seemed a little 
embarrassed. 

" I knew not what to do," added he awkwardly ; 
" I told this person that monsieur was absent, but she 
was obstinate and would not go. She raised her 
voice, and the noise attracted the ?ittentioa of the 



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348 THE JEW, 

servants on the floor below, and it would have created 
a disturbance if I had, as I at first intended, ordered 
her out. So there she is, monsieur." 

" Who is this woman ? " asked Jacob. 

The servant, judging his master by his own way of 
seeing things, dared not reply. 

" I do not understand who she can be," muttered 
he. "She did not pronounce her name distinctly. 
I believe she has come to ask for help. I am not 
positive." 

As soon as he opened the door Jacob saw a 
woman who was walking up and down the room, 
examining everything with curiosity. She was dressed 
in the ancient costume of a Polish Jewess. She wore 
a black dress of strange but simple fashion, and 
around her throat a necklace of pearls with a large 
gold medallion ; a long black mantle completed her 
costume, and her face was sprinkled with patches, fol- 
lowing the ancient fashion for Jewesses. 

Jacob divined, rather than recognized, his mother, 
and with a cry of joy threw himself at her feet and 
covered her hand with kisses. The old woman was 
so agitated that she could hardly speak, and her eyes 
filled with tears. 

Jacob seated her on the sofa and ran for a glass 
of water. In his haste he ran against the servant who 
was peeping through the key-hole, and who had no 
time to conceal himself. 

" Go for water ! " cried Jacob. " You gave this 
lady a fine reception ! It is my mother ! " 



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THE OLD MOTHER. 



349 



"That is just what she told me," murmured the 
man; "but" — 

" Not another word ! Get some water, I tell 
you!'' 

When he returned, he found his mother much 
calmer. 

" God of Israel, how great has been thy goodness 
to my child ! Oh, if his father could have seen the 
elegance with which he is surrounded, he could not 
have said enough prayers to express his gratitude ! 
God of Moses ! Alas ! I can only thank thee by my 
tears." 

"The most precious gift of God for me," said 
Jacob, " is the joy of a mother's heart." 

"Your prosperity is the celestial recompense for 
your father's virtues. This recompense has not been 
accorded to all my children. Sarah is ill. Miriam's 
children are dead. I could not resist the desire to 
embrace thee once more before I die. I said to 
myself, 'Perhaps he will be ashamed of his old 
mother ; * that kept me. Afterward, I thought that 
at the worst I should have seen thee, if even from afar, 
and given thee a secret blessing." 

"How couldst thou, dearest mother, think me 
capable of such vile ingratitude, and such forgetful- 
ness of the commandments of God ? " 

" O my Jacob, I know the world ! Your eldest 
brother respects me, although I am not his mother, 
but only his father's wife. He is a good man ; yet if 
I go to his house poorly dressed, when he has elegant 



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350 THE JEW, 

visitors, I can see that he is ashamed of me. But 
don't be afraid, my son, I will not show myself 
before your fine friends." 

"Then you will cruelly offend me," cried Jacob. 
" Never shall I be ashamed of my mother, nor my 
father, nor my race, nor my religion, nor anything 
holy. To conceal one's origin is a fooUsh pride, a 
criminal lie." 

Just then the servant entered, much disturbed, and 
said: — 

" One of monsieur's friends is here ; shall I show 
him in?" 

** Certainly," said Jacob. 

It was Mathilde's father. He did not recognize 
his relative, and was surprised to see an old Jewess 
seated on the sofa. He had suspected Jacob of en- 
tertaining a visitor of another kind. 

" Mother, you remember Monsieur Samuel, our 
cousin, and my guardian?" said Jacob. "I owe 
everything to him." 

" After God, it is to you that I am most grateful," 
replied Jacob's mother. 

Monsieur Samuel was somewhat embarrassed ; he 
succeeded, nevertheless, in addressing some words of 
courtesy to the good woman, and to relieve himself of 
his embarrassment he drew Jacob aside under pretext 
of pressing business. 

" I came to consult with you," said he ; " but we 
can leave it until some other time. Now let me ask 
you, what will you do with your mother? " 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 



351 



" The name of ' mother ' is ray only reply." 

" A beautiful phrase ; but do not be sentimental, I 
beg of you, dear Jacob. Do not compromise your- 
self in the eyes of the world. This queerly dressed 
old woman, if she is seen with you, will hurt us 
socially as well as you. You cannot brave public 
opinion." 

" I do not care to cultivate the acquaintance of 
those who mock my affection for my mother," said 
Jacob. " This will prove their worth ; thus I can tell 
the gold from the baser metal." 

" A truce to poetry ! Let us look on life as it really 
is. As soon as the world scents a Jew, it will tolerate 
him only when his perfume is sweet ; the odours of 
the iarmulka are obnoxious." 

" I will make no concessions to the prejudices of 
the world," said Jacob. 

"Well, then, spare me the honour of receiving a 
visit from your mother." 

Jacob grew pale and his eyes flashed. 

"You have been my benefactor," said he slowly. 
" Do not make me forget it." 

" Excuse me, there are degrees in Judaism ; for ex- 
ample, I give myself out as a descendant of rich 
German Jews." 

" Why do you prefer the German Jews," asked Ja- 
cob with a smile of pity. " Are they any the less 
Jews?" 

"Perhaps not. But they rank higher, and their 
past is different. Will your mother live with you?" 



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352 THE JEW, 

" I hope so. I shall be very glad to have her near 
me." 

" I see that it is useless to reason with you. I 
cannot convince you ; but if you have thoughts of 
Muse, I advise you to be careful." 

" I do not dream of Mademoiselle Wtorkowska." 

"There have been rumours" — 

"These rumours have no foundation." 

" The presence of your mother in your apartments 
will shock many people." 

" So much the worse for them. I do not intend to 
offer my mother as a holocaust." 

" Has she brought any more of the family? " 

"I believe that she is alone. Poor old woman ! to 
see me she has undertaken a long and wearisome 
journey." 

" She had better have sent for you to come to her, 
instead of suddenly appearing at Warsaw." 

Then Mathilde's father returned to the salon^ sa- 
luted the old woman politely, and took his leave. 

On the first floor of the house the news of the arri- 
val of a Jewess in the ancient national costume was 
circulated from mouth to mouth. Jacob's servant 
had no secrets from the Wtorkowska's maid, and he 
soon told her all about it ; she carried the news to 
madame, who, inspired by Paul de Kock, her favour- 
ite author, arranged the story in her own fashion and 
went to relate it to Muse. 

" It is nothing to me," cried the young lady. " Ja- 
cob is no longer on my list." 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 353 

"Alas," replied Madame Wtorkowska, "to be so 
rich and to remain such an obstinate Jew ! " 

" Mamma, would you have any objection to Sofro- 
nof, if he declares himself? " asked Emusia. 

** Do as you wish. Provided that you marry, your 
choice will be mine. Yet be on your guatd with this 
Sofronof. These Russians have no scruples, no deli- 
cacy ; to break a woman's heart is for them a pleas- 
ure, something to glory in. Under apparent splen- 
dour, they are often penniless adventurers who come 
to Poland to replenish their purses. I know the Rus- 
sians well. Many of them parade about in a brilliant 
uniform and live in poverty." 

"Mamma, Sofronof has a fine property in the 
province of Kostroma." 

" I have met these brilliant officers who boast of 
possessing hundreds of peasants near laroslaf or 
Tambof. They lied, and this one may also. Let us go 
to Kostroma. The government pays these colonels so 
poorly, and even the generals, that they are obliged 
to rob to cut any figure." 

" It is not called robbery in Russia. They give it 
another name, — indirect revenue, I believe. The 
country is so organized that the employes, civil and 
military, without exception, procure indirect revenues 
to increase their salary." 

** Yes, dear Emusia, I regret Jacob. Unfortunately, 
he has a mother who is an impossible Jewess." 

"If I willed it, nevertheless, I could make him 
leave father, mother, and religion. I am sure I 



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354 ^^^ y^^' 

could overcome him ; but I do not care to make any 
more efforts in that direction. Jacob is not congenial 
to me. My favourite, you know, is Henri." 

*'You always force me to repeat that he is 
married." 

"The obstacle is Mathilde. She will soon die, 
and Henri would marry me immediately." 

" The grapes are too green." 

" We will see, and as a last resort I have always 
Sofronof." 

Some days after the arrival of Jacob's mother 
Henri Segel said to his father-in-law : — 

"This Jacob is intractable. He will never be a 
society man. Presumptuous and obstinate, he refuses 
to see the world as it is. His head is full of fan- 
tasies from the Talmud, of dreams of reform, strange 
ideas of fraternal union. He is for Poland, and at 
the same time against the revolution. He refuses to 
enter into relations with the most important persons. 
He keeps to himself and is a real savage ; useless to 
the world, yet not deprived of intelligence. But he is 
of no use to us." 

" He always reminds me of the beggary from 
which I took him," said Samuel. " He seems to be 
proud of it." 

" It is too bad ; with his large acquaintance he 
could have been of great service to us. He has good 
manners and a sympathetic character. No one would 
ever take him for a Jew, if he did not foolishly avow 
his origin on every occasion. He is compromising in 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 355 

society. Men of his calibre are destined to an evil 
end, and he makes himself disagreeable to all. He 
must be blind, to act so much against his own 
interests." 

" Have you heard about his mother? " 

" Not yet." 

" Imagine, then, a Jewess of the lowest rank suddenly 
appearing at his house. He has welcomed her, and 
made much of her, and walked with her on the public 
streets. He would have brought her to me, if I had 
not begged him to spare me this ridicule." 

" The same danger threatens me, I fear, and he is 
capable of choosing the very day when I have the 
best society of Warsaw in my salon. This eccentric 
has turned Mathilde's head. She will suffer no one 
to ridicule him, and looks on him as a saint." 

** They have indulged in a Platonic romance since 
their childhood ; but I will give you the means of 
breaking the charm which enchains my daughter's 
spirit. Behold ! he whom she takes for a saint pays 
his tribute to frail humanity." 

** How ? I have never heard any scandal about 
Jacob." 

" He has concealed it well ; but I have a good 
detective who has told me that this sage, learned in 
the books of Solomon, follows the footsteps of that 
voluptuous monarch. Only they are not beautiful 
Midianites with whom he shares his wealth. He hast 
succumbed to a pure-blooded Jewess." 

"Tell me about it, I beg of you." 



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356 THE JEW. 

" Well, you know that I like to look about me a 
little everywhere. Sometimes I profit by it, and it 
always amuses me. Sometimes in one direction, 
sometimes another, I have bloodhounds that I 
chat with. Of late, that old man with a red nose, 
whom they call Trompette, has spied about for me. 
One day I was occupied ; he insisted on seeing me, 
and came in with a mysterious air as if he had a state 
secret. He told me that Monsieur Jacob, — you will 
never guess, — the pious Jacob, had a mistress. She is 
a Jewess, whose father is very rich. The romance 
has lasted a long time, for the result is a child, on 
account of which she has been turned from her 
father's house." 

" Well, well ! " cried Henri. " Why, it is impos- 
sible ! '' 

" At first he hid her with the greatest mystery in a 
little old house in the rue des Jardins. Now he has 
established her, still secretly, in a much more comfort- 
able place in Saint George's street. He often goes 
there in the evening. I know it to be so, and I am 
told that the girl is pretty, graceful, and modest." 

" How does he reconcile this proceeding with his 
principles?" asked Henri. "Really, I am sur- 
prised." 

Samuel laughed heartily, and added : — 

" Yes ; Jacob has concealed this intrigue well ; but 
some day Fll tease him about it. That will be great 
fun." 

" I can hardly believe it yet," said Henri. 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 357 

" There is no doubt whatever, I assure you. Jacob 
supports a pretty girl, and she lacks nothing. If you 
think it is for love of humanity and chastity, explain 
his motive." 

"He is, then, a Don Juan disguised as an anchorite. 
It is a side of his character that I have never sus- 
pected. I never dreamed of it." 

*'Do you wish to be convinced with your own 
eyes? Here is the address, go and see for yourself; 
you are one of the family, and you might take a little 
trouble about it. The thing ought to be cleared up. 
You will not fail, with a little pains, to surprise the 
gay Lothario in flagrante delicto. After that he will 
not talk so much about the saints and holy writ. At 
heart he is no better than the rest of us." 

" Alas, poor Jacob, where is your character now ! 
Do you know how this original romance com- 
menced?" 

" It is a secret that you will discover, no doubt. I 
can only say one thing, that it is a secret no longer." 

" But it is such a short time since he returned, that 
the connection must have begun abroad. Who knows 
where ? Perhaps at the baths." 

Henri Segel, seemingly absorbed in thought, went 
in the early evening to see Muse, This was for him 
the privileged hour for a charming interview, when no 
one ventured to disturb them, not even Sofronof. 
She had so well arranged her time that her favourites 
never ran the risk of meeting each other. The early 
part of the evening was given to Henri, who could 



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358 THE JEW, 

then at his ease chat and joke with the siren and 
kiss her lovely hands. Segel was so preoccupied 
that the young lady noticed it. 

"What has come over you?" asked she. "Why 
are you so quiet? Have you lost at the Bourse, or 
has your dancer left you for the epaulets? " 

" How cruel you are, dear mademoiselle, to think 
that such selfish preoccupations should cloud my 
brow.'' 

" I think that you are a sensible and practical man, 
that is all." 

" Well, this time you deceive yourself. That which 
troubles me is the downfall of a man whom " — 

" The fall of a man ? That is curious." 

" Very curious." 

"Do I know the man? " 

"Very well. He is one of your friends." 

" Speak, then ! Why distil your story drop by 
drop?" 

"It is Jacob." 

" A fall ! His mother's visit, then ? " 

" No ; better than that." 

"What, then?" 

" An original adventure, a strange story. Jacob, 
our saint, our immaculate Jacob, has a mistress by 
whom he has a child." 

" Pure calumny ! " said Muse. 

" At first I thought so too ; but, alas ! it is a fact ; 
there is good proof." 

"This will destroy his character." 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 



359 



** Simple truth that all men are falHble," said 
Henri. 

" I am dying to know the details ! " cried Muse. 
** Is she young, pretty, blond or brunette, poor or 
rich, well educated ? " 

" She is only a little Jewess, daughter of a merchant, 
but young and very pretty." 

"When did this intrigue commence? " 

" I am ignorant of the circumstances. It was my 
father-in-law, whom nothing escapes, who discovered 
it. At first I did not believe it, but he soon convinced 
me. The girl lived in the rue des Jardins for a while, 
now in Saint George's street." 

" And this offspring of which you spoke ? " 

" Did you not understand me ? " 

Muse smiled and did not repeat her question, she 
only added : — 

" He played so well the role of chaste Joseph that 
no one would have suspected him of this." 

" Humbug ! His character now appears to me in 
a new light. I must commence to study him again ; 
until now I was all astray." 

" I," replied Muse, " was convinced that he was 
ice toward women. At last I see that he is vulnera- 
ble." She was so impatient to repeat this scandal to 
her mother that she dismissed Henri. 

"At present," said she, after finishing her story, 
" this man seems to me more inexplicable than ever. 
A common girl succeeds where I have failed." 

" He loves ; that explains all," said her mother. 



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360 THE JEW. 

" He loves ! That is no reason ; it is no excuse. I 
am furious^ now that I see that his coldness was only 
assumed so as not to many me." 

Colonel Sofronof paid dear for Muse's vexation. 
She deprived him of little bits of news that she had 
been in the habit of giving him, and in order to irri- 
tate him displayed some patriotic songs. However, 
he did not get angry, but only smiled, and said : — 

"You are not feeling well to-night.** 

The calumny spread rapidly. Henri arrived home 
in good humour. Not finding visitors, he resigned 
himself to tea with his wife. After tea the English- 
woman read in one comer, Mathilde in another; 
finally Segel broke the prolonged silence. 

" Have you seen Jacob lately? ** asked he. 

" No ; he has not been here for some time." 

" Without doubt his mother's society " — 

"Yes, he told me of her arrival," said Mathilde. 

" Has he ever spoken of any one else ? ** 

"Of whom, then?" 

" Bah ! It is useless to tell you. It is not worth 
while to destroy your illusions. You have an affection 
for Jacob ; let it rest." 

The least curious of women have still a little touch 
of curiosity, especially in regard to the man they 
love, Mathilde became uneasy. 

*' I am sure," said she with agitation, " that Jacob 
has done nothing to destroy the good opinion that I 
have of him." 

" If you are sure, so much the better." 



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THE OLD MOTHER, 361 

"Do not torment me thus. As you have com- 
menced, tell me all." 

"Why should you take this lively interest in Jacob," 
said Henri smiling. 

" I love him as a brother ; I have never concealed 
it. We were brought up together." 

" Well, this Jacob has committed no crime. He 
simply possesses a mistress whom he conceals from 
public view." Then he repeated cynically all he had 
heard, with a malicious irony. 

" If you do not beUeve me," added he, " ask 
your father. He is the one that discovered the 
secret." 

During this narration Mathilde had grown red and 
pale, and listened with bowed head, trembling ner- 
vously. Suddenly she raised her head and said 
boldly : — 

" It is a lie ! I believe neither you nor my father. 
It is an unworthy calumny." 

" And why do you say that? " 

" Because it is not possible." 

With these words, instead of going to the piano as 
usual, she went and shut herself up in her room, 
where she could give free vent to her tears. Until 
then she had been so proud of the man whom she 
had made her ideal. Her idol was overthrown from 
his pedestal and was reduced to the level of ordinary 
men. 

Then she said to herself: — 

"No, it cannot be possible." An inner voice 



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362 THE JEW, 

replied : " They are all built on the same model. 
The whole world is corrupt." 

Life now appeared so empty, so sombre, so odious 
to her that she would gladly have died. The next 
day when she seated herself at the table, her fece 
bore traces of the great suffering she had endured. 
She was very pale, and her features were drawn and 
pinched. She replied indifferently to her husband's 
questions, and pleading a violent headache, hastened 
again to her chamber. She wished to be alone with 
her sorrow. 



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RUSSIAN POLITICS, 363 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
RUSSIAN pouncs. 

Russian tyranny increased the number of the revo- 
lutionists, for often a cause which has at the outset 
few adherents rapidly develops when blood has been 
shed. 

Jacob, who had been opposed to those who incited 
the country to a revolution, modified his sentiments 
in its favour when the government displayed bayonets 
and erected scaffolds. 

At the head of the saviours of Poland by terrorism 
was the Grand Duke Constantine, brother of Alexan- 
der II., and the Marquis Wielopolski. These two 
would probably have adopted another system if Peters- 
burg had not forced them to employ the traditional 
remedies of cruelty and tyranny, banishment, the pen- 
alty of death, Siberia, and penal servitude. 

Jacob did not protest against resistance to arbitrary 
enlistment accomplished in the most outrageous 
manner. From the Polish nation, wounded in its 
dignity, rose on all sides the cry of revolt. " Rather 
death than be slaves, kissing under the knout the 
hand of our executioners ! " 

Jacob was willing to do anything he could, but his 
former prudence had alienated him from the revolu- 



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364 ^^^ 7^^' 

tionary party. So he employed himself in publishing 
a Jewish journal in the Polish language, in which he 
continued to maintain his ideas of Jewish reform ; but 
for such a propaganda the moment was not opportune. 
New troubles also awaited him. His articles, written 
in elegant style with warm conviction, attained recogni- 
tion from his co-religionists only on their literary 
merit. To some it was superstition, to others fanati- 
cism, and so he remained alone in politics as well as 
religion. He was too much Jew or too little Jew, too 
patriotic or not patriotic enough. The society of his 
mother was a great consolation to him at this time. 
He had installed her in his apartments, and often 
walked out with her, and his filial devotion had put 
him under the ban of the wealthy Jewish society. He 
was avoided by all. He perceived it, and renounced 
all relations with these narrow-minded men. He 
even ceased to go to Segel's on account of Henri's 
coldness. Mathilde gave another explanation to this 
voluntary ostracism; in it she saw confirmation of 
the rumours she had heard. The poor girl suffered 
greatly. 

One evening Jacob was tempted to visit the Wtor- 
kowska's, hoping to meet Mathilde. In the midst of 
an assembly composed almost exclusively of Russians 
appeared a new-comer, the Count Bavorof, counsel- 
lor of state. He was scarcely thirty years old, and 
was said to be a great favourite of the Grand Duke 
Constantine, and above all he was a bachelor. Natu- 
rally, Muse wished to count him among the number 



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RUSSIA!^ POLITICS. 365 

of her adorers, and had already tried on him the 
irresistible combination of beauty joined to wit. 

Jacob approached Mathilde, who was seated at one 
side, alone. Her deadly pallor shocked him. 

" Are you suffering? " asked he, in a low voice. 

The young woman threw on him a glance of pro- 
found compassion, and replied : — 

" No. I feel no worse to-day than usual." 

" I have not seen you for a long time," said Jacob. 

" That is true." 

" It is my fault ; but I cannot impose myself on 
men who repulse me." 

" Rather, is it not you who repulse them? " 

The remark sounded like a reproach. 

"How? I? They avoid me because my dear 
old mother, who is endowed with many excellent 
qualities, is not an elegant and fashionable woman. 
Is that any reason why I should not love her and 
cherish her? The ridiculous snobbishness of my so- 
called friends will Hot regulate my conduct." 

" Is it your mother alone that keeps you from us ? 
Perhaps there is another person who absorbs your 
time?" 

Jacob opened his eyes, astonished. There was 
something in his look so open and reassuring, that 
she felt shaken in her conviction. She blushed, and 
was too embarrassed to prolong the conversation, so 
she rose and went to sit near Muse. She took her 
leave soon, bowing to Jacob from a distance. 

The latter was downcast. He sought in vain the 



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366 , THE JEW. 

key to this enigma. He understood that some one 
had calumniated him to his beloved, but who or what 
it was he could not imagine. 

In the salon the conversation was animated. 
Colonel Sofronof, Count Bavorof, Muse, and the 
Counsellor Pikulinski made most of the noise. The 
recent recruiting, from which had burst out the first 
revolutionary spark, was the subject of the discussion. 
Sofronof did not approve of the measure, and com- 
menced to question the genius of the Marquis Wielo- 
polski. The Count Bavorof, with his ideas fresh from 
Moscow, told of the atrocious repressions, since per- 
fected and adopted with so much cruelty, which the 
journalist, Katkof, was disposed to raise to the height 
of a system. 

The Counsellor Pikulinski was one of those coun- 
sellors from whom no one expects the least counsel. 
He was an absolute nonentity. The sole thought 
which predominated in his poorly developed brain 
was the perpetual fear of compromising himself. 
Like a doll that always squeaks alike when it is struck 
in the stomach, at each instant he repeated the word 
" yes," with an approving nod of the head. 

It mattered little to Pikulinski if the " yes " ac- 
corded to one person contradicted the "yes" offered 
to another. The essential thing with him was not to 
oppose superior authority or its representatives. 
Thanks to this invariable line of conduct, he had 
made a splendid career in the bureaucratic hie- 
rarchy. Decorated with the cordon of Saint Stan- 



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JiUSSIAN POLITICS. 



367 



islas, the cross of Saint Waldimir, he enjoyed the 
entire confidence of the government as a reward of 
twenty-five years of faithful service. 

Despite his intrinsic nullity he displayed an enor- 
mous activity. Official presentations, manifestations 
of devotion, addresses of submission to the govern- 
ment, subscriptions of command, deputations, wher- 
ever he could make himself conspicuous, Pikulinski 
appeared. 

A kind-hearted man, he knew how to render him- 
self agreeable to the old dignitaries and to the ven- 
erable dowagers, and it was natural that he should 
expect still further promotion in his civil career. The 
title of senator and the order of the White Eagle 
could not escape him; it was only a question of 
time. At each new favour from the government 
Pikulinski was profoundly touched. He quickly put 
on his full-dress uniform covered with decorations, 
and hastened to present himself at the chateau, in 
order to return his humble thanks. He always re- 
turned from these interviews puffed up with pride at 
the flattering words of his chiefs. 

" If every one," thought he, " would imitate my ex- 
ample, how many evils might be averted. Unfortu- 
nately, most of my Polish compatriots are wanting in 
tact and have little policy." 

In Madame Wtorkowska^s salon he took no active 
part in the conversation, but contented himself by 
throwing in here and there a ** yes " which was only 
varied by the inflexion. 



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368 THE JEW. 

" Russia," said Bavorof, " can say that she will act 
independently with more justice than Italy. She will 
carefully refrain from an alliance with perfidious Aus- 
tria and feudal Prussia. Young and vigorous, she is 
strong enough to make head against the whole Occi- 
dent united." 

" Yes," immediately assented Pikulinski. 

" It would be wiser to avoid the conflict," said So- 
fronof. 

" Yes," said the counsellor of state feebly. 

" For my part," said Jacob, " I think it would be a 
sensible thing for her not to engage in so formidable 
a combat." 

" And why, then? " demanded Bavorof. 

At this question Pikulinski accidentally let fall a 
" yes," which he tried to smother by coughing. 

" Poland," replied Jacob, " claims only the liberties 
guaranteed by legitimate treaties of the past. It 
would be much better to give them to her, than to 
reply by terrorism and false claims." 

The counsellor of state could scarcely suppress a 
" yes," which was on the point of coming out ; then he 
feared that he had compromised himself by merely 
assisting at this conversation; he was taken with 
pains in the stomach, and took refuge in another part 
of the room. 

"You are putting yourselfinabadlight, monsieur," 
replied the count. " We do not recognize any rights 
whatever on the part of Poland nor the Poles, not 
even the inherent rights of men. Our first duty is to 



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j^assiAj\r POLITICS, 369 

repress this revolutionary tendency. Our strength 
sustains us ; it is by this that we live. Our sole means 
of existence are our swords." 

" To say that Russia's only power is brute force," 
replied Jacob, " is to avow her moral weakness." 

" Until the present the empire has had no other foun- 
dation than force, described by you as brutal. That 
may change, perhaps ; but in the meanwhile I repeat 
to you our gospel is the sword." 

The count's cynicism shocked the colonel, who was 
more diplomatic. 

" Monsieur le Comte," said he, " I cannot entirely 
agree with you. There are certain hereditary rights 
which should be superior to force." 

Pikulinski almost let fall a " yes," but judged it pru- 
dent to await a better occasion. 

"Passive obedience," continued Jacob, addressing 
the count, "seems to be your principal axiom." 

" Yes, for it is a national axiom, powerful as a relig- 
ious dogma. Add to that, money, official position, 
decorations, titles of nobility, and all advantages 
which the government can give " — 

"Then you speculate on human weaknesses, cupid- 
ity, vanity, ambition?" 

"You have said it. All the science of statesmen 
worthy of the name is summed up in working men 
through their vices. To speculate on virtue is only 
a dream, a childish illusion. Why? Because in hu- 
manity vice always predominates over virtue." 

Muse, who practised after her own fashion the 



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370 THE JEW. 

maxims of Bavorof, believed, nevertheless, that it 
would look better for one of her sex to appear 
shocked, and cried : — 

" Oh, Monsieur le Comte, your ideas are really 
shocking." 

" Pardon me, mademoiselle, they were not said for 
your charming ears." 

Pikulinski let fall a loud " yes," being sure that he 
could not compromise himself this time. 

"You know, however," replied Muse, "that just 
now most of our women are mixed up in politics. 
We are accustomed to hear everything, and our influ- 
ence is widespread." 

" It is a misfortune. It does not well become 
your white hands to stir up the filth of life, nor to 
penetrate, elegant and perfumed, into the laboratory 
where are prepared the drugs for the maladies of 
humanity." 

Pikulinski thought this remark merited a repeated 
" yes, yes." 

"You think, then," asked Jacob, "that morals 
should have no part in the government of nations ? " 

" Morals ! There is no sense in the word. Politics 
exclude morals." 

" If that is your profession of faith, all discussion is 
impossible between us. I believe in morality, always 
and everywhere, and every time that an injury is done 
to it I call on the justice of God." 

" God ! Justice ! You believe in that? Are you 
a Catholic?" 



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RUSSIAN POLITICS. 



371 



*' No ; I am a Jew." 

Bavorof had never met a Jew of this stamp. He 
looked at him in astonishment, and asked : — 

"German Jew?" 

"No; Polish." 

" Does Poland contain many Jews who think and 
reason like you?" 

" I do not understand the question." 

" I mean no offence. I wish to know if there are 
in Poland many Israelites who are polished and 
educated." 

" There are many better educated and more pol- 
ished than I." 

" Then so much the better. You can exercise a 
happy influence over the people in curing them of 
their patriotism without a future, and of their super- 
annuated Catholicism. Eliminate the feudal spirit and 
that of the nobility, and with these new conditions 
will come the fusion between Russia and Poland." 

"The Jews who are preserved, thanks to their 
religious faith, cannot employ themselves by tearing 
out the hearts of others." 

" I have, then, the pleasure of talking with a revolu- 
tionist." 

"Not at all. Though there are circumstances 
when men who were most opposed to revolution 
have taken part in them, in spite of themselves." 

"Pardon me," said Sofronof, interrupting him. 
"The truth is that Poland will never be satisfied. 
Give her autonomy. She would soon demand the 



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372 THE JEW. 

annexation of the provinces included in Russia, 
Prussia, and Austria. Give them all that, and they 
would claim the ports on the Baltic and on the Black 
sea." 

" One thing certain," replied Jacob, " is that 
Russia never yet has tried to satisfy Poland in any 
way." 

" And Alexander I. ? " asked Bavorof. 

" Alexander I. promised much and performed little, 
and that little he has taken back again by the hand 
of his brother, the Tsarevitch Constantine." 

At these words Pikulinski was thoroughly fright- 
ened ; he was afraid to breathe even the same air 
with this audacious man. He thought of pretending 
to have the nose-bleed for a pretext to leave sud- 
denly. However, he remained. 

" And Russia did wrong to promise and make those 
concessions," replied Bavorof. "Since 1815 it has 
been necessary to uproot and overthrow Polonism 
and Catholicism. They must be replaced by the 
Russian spirit and the orthodox Greek church." 

" But, Monsieur le Comte, did you not just avow 
that Russia's power is in her material force ? In that 
case, what is the Russian spirit, and how shall she 
inspire others with a spirit which is actually incom- 
patible with strength?" 

"The contradiction is not so apparent. Our 
spirit is to destroy all those who do not think with 
us. We were wrong to deceive Poland with falla- 
cious promises; between us it is a battle to the 



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RUSSIAN POLITICS, 373 

death. Her annihilation is our end, and always has 
been." 

" And what will come out of the ruins ? " 

**An enormous Russia, a Russia semi-civilized, — 
paleoslav, democratic, and social, with a Czar at the 
head. A republic, if you will, democ-soc^ as they said 
in 1848, with a hereditary president clothed with dic- 
tatorial authority, and to the eyes of the ignorant 
masses of a sacred and divine character. I am a 
noble ; but to tell the truth, in Russia nobility does not 
exist. It never has existed, and never will. All Rus- 
sians are equally under the knout." 

This expression of the republic, democ-soc^ even in 
the mouth of Bavorof, sounded so badly to the ears 
of Pikulinski, that this time he suppressed the " yes," 
and, under pretext of the nose-bleed that he had in 
reserve, hid his face in his handkerchief. 

Jacob, after taking the tour of the salon two or 
three times, took his leave. 

" Who is this man? " asked the count. " Is he really 
a Jew?" 

" Yes," replied Muse ; " and there are many Israel- 
ites here who are as well educated." 

" And have they the same ideas ? " 

" Not by any means," replied Sofronof, who had 
some acquaintance with Jewish society. " This man 
is an exception. He is an idealist, a dreamer, a re- 
former. An original, he walks alone." 

" A dangerous man," muttered Bavorof. " He is 
obstinate, no doubt, like all men with convictions, im- 



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374 ^^^ 7^^' 

bued with a fervent mysticism and plunged in the 
clouds of spirituality. He sets up a standard of 
morals and right that takes with weak-minded people 
everywhere; above all, the women. If he were a 
Catholic I would have arrested him and banished him 
without further ceremony ; but he is only a Jew, so we 
can have a little patience." 

" At Warsaw," said Muse, " the Israelites play a 
grand r61e. It is difficult to distinguish them from 
the rest of society at first sight." 

" But from what I have heard they are not friends 
with the feudalists." 

" It is not so ; they are reconciled." 

" That is a pity. Then we must sow discord among 
them. Divide and conquer is one of our maxims." 

" You are a strange politician, dear count," said 
Sofronof ; " you think aloud." 

" Like a celebrated minister. To-day it is the best 
way to deceive the world. Men are always disposed 
to attribute to you ideas contrary to those which you 
loudly proclaim." 

Pikulinski confirmed this sentence with two loud 
" yeses," and went away wondering if he could in any 
way have compromised himself. 

One day, soon after, Bavorof said to Sofronof : — 

"I recommend you, colonel, to warn the police 
not to lose sight of this Jew, Jacob. He displeases 
me. He sees through our plots. There are only two 
alternatives: to oblige him to serve us, or to send 
him to Penza." 



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RUSSIAN POLITICS. 375 

"What good would that do? His is an open 
nature, from which we have nothing to fear. He is 
wrapped up in the Talmud and his innocent mania of 
playing the prophet." 

''As for me, I despise his prophecy. Is he rich? " 

"Very rich." 

" So much the worse. Ambitious ? " 

" Not the least in the world." 

'^ Still worse. Is he a coward ? " 

" I do not think so." 

" In that case to Penza ! To Penza ! " 

" But he is not a revolutionist." 

" That is still worse. Sooner or later a revolution- 
ist will change his skin. A revolutionist can be dealt 
with ; but a liberal, a legalist, a moralist, who believes 
in men's rights, this is a dangerous animal. Give me 
individuals like Pikulinski, malleable to our will, and I 
will place them in the centre of our social organism. 
We can control them, and, with the rabble at our feet, 
all will go smoothly. Hurrah ! " 



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376 THE JEW. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE SEDUCER. 

Jacob was absorbed in the study of the works of 
Maimonides, when his servant brought him a visiting- 
card. 

This servant had replaced him who had so rudely 
received his master's mother, and who, on account of 
her, had left Jacob's service, with tears in his eyes, 
but too proud to serve a country-woman in Jewish 
costume. 

The visiting-card bore a name engraved indistinct- 
ly. Without deciphering the name, Jacob received 
his visitor. He frowned when he recognized David 
Seebach the younger, the seducer of Lia. He was 
dressed richly, but in bad taste, with a cane in his 
hand, an eye-glass at his eye, and a smile on his lips. 
Jacob received him coldly, and, with a wave of the 
hand, indicated a chair. David seated himself, put 
the end of his cane in his mouth, adjusted his eye-glass, 
and spoke in a low voice : — 

" My presence at your house is perhaps a surprise, 
for you gained, I fear, a bad impression of us on our 
last interview. We were very sorry, my father and I, 
not to have been able to conceal that unfortunate 
exile for you, but " — 



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THE SEDUCER, yi>j 

" I do not blame you for that. Every one has a 
right to act as he pleases." 

" Since then I have thought it over, and I admit 
that I was in the wrong. Your reasoning was just at 
all points. We must follow the current ; we must side 
with Poland. My father and I, however, do not think 
alike, on account of his former relations. He remains 
in the Russian camp, while I take the side of the 
Poles. Thus we are safe in any case." 

" As you please," said Jacob, in an indifferent tone. 

"You are on their side, are you not? " asked David. 

" I am for Poland, but I am not a revolutionist." 

" As for myself, I have made the acquaintance of 
the principal agitators. I attend all the meetings, and 
I will aid the revolutionists, for there is money to be 
made by so doing. As a measure of precaution I 
have put all my property in a safe place across the 
frontier, so that in case I am taken the Russians can 
get nothing, and my father can save me from the hands 
of the police through the protection of the high func- 
tionaries with whom he is in favour. The patriots 
will need capital to procure arms at the Austrian fron- 
tier. I will accommodate them, and the profits will 
be worth running a little risk." 

" Excuse me," interrupted Jacob. " I do not wish 
to meddle in such business." 

'' How is that ? Have you not said that you sym- 
pathize with Poland, and did you not reproach us 
for being opposed to it ? " 

" Listen to me, my good David. If I am Polish, 



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378 THE JEW, 

it is not from love of lucre, not for fear, but from 
conviction." 

"I am equally patriotic at heart," said David. " I 
sing the recent hymns which ask God to manifest his 
power against the secular enemy. I believed that you 
would aid me to conduct my business to a successful 
termination ; for to speak frankly, as I am a new con- 
vert the patriots have not yet entire confidence in me. 
Your recommendation would have weight, and you can 
share the profits." 

At these words Jacob rang, and the servant ap- 
peared immediately. 

"You see this gentleman," said the master. 
"Look at him well so as to recognize him." 

"Monsieur, I will remember him." 

" Very well. If he ever presents himself here again 
you will not admit him." 

David arose, frightened and furious. 

"Be careful how you treat me, my dear Jacob," 
said he, as he left. " I have your life in my hands, 
and I will be revenged." 

After this scene Jacobus brow was bathed in a cold 
sweat, and he fell on a couch nearly prostrated. He 
was aroused by the arrival of Lia^s servant, who said 
that her mistress begged him to come immediately to 
St. George^s street. He called a carriage and has- 
tened to the dwelling of David^s victim. 

Near the house he perceived a veiled woman, who 
seemed agitated on seeing him, and leaned against the 
wall as if faint. Then she rapidly disappeared around 



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THE SEDUCER, 379 

the comer. Something about this woman reminded 
him of Mathilde. 

What if it was she ! 

This thought could be imaginary only, and Jacob 
did not entertain it for a moment. Lia, all in tears, 
ran to meet him for whom she had waited impa- 
tiently. 

" Oh ! " cried she, " that wretch has been here ; he 
has dared to look at my child. Save me from him ! 
He has threatened to return. I will not see him. I 
do not know him." 

"Be quiet. You have nothing to fear. Did he 
ell you why he came ? Perhaps he is divorced from 
his wife, and he wishes to marry you." 

" Then I will refuse ; but he cannot give his wife 
the Ghet, for he knows not where she is. And as for 
me, I have taken an Issar. I have sworn never to 
marry the man who caused the tears of my father and 
my mother." 

Wrath and contempt gave to Lia's face a wonder- 
ful beauty. She continued : — 

" May my child be among the Asufim, the Piggum, 
and the Schetukim, rather than bear the name of his 
miserable father ! " 

Jacob made vain efforts to calm her, and said : — 

" I do not approve of your Issar. The child needs 
a father, and the marriage would justify you in your 
parents' eyes." 

All at once they heard David's voice in the ante- 
gbamber, Wa snatched her child from it§ cwdle 



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380 THE JEW. 

and fled to another room, and Jacob was left alone. 
The door opened violently and the seducer rushed 
into the room, his face purple with rage. He was 
stupefied to find in Lia*s visitor one whom he had 
not expected to meet again so soon. After a 
moment's silence his anger returned, and with 
drawn sword he rushed on his enemy, but his cool- 
ness and the heavy cane which Jacob presented kept 
him at a distance. He lowered his arm and mut- 
tered some unintelligible words. 

" Why do you come here ? '* asked Jacob, with a 
firm voice. 

"And you?" 

" I am here at the request of Lia's father, with all 
the rights of a guardian." 

" And I come to see my child." 

" Neither the mother nor the child belong to you. 
Have you given them your name ? Have you shielded 
them from shame, misery, and malediction ? " 

" I intend to divorce my wife and marry Lia. I 
must speak with her. Why do you hinder me? " 

" I consent that she sees you in my presence, if 
she wish. Otherwise, no." 

" She ought to be willing, for I hold her fate in 
my hands." 

He had hardly ceased speaking when Lia opened 
the door and entered, her features convulsed with 
aversion and contempt. She was superb in her 
scorn, and David trembled as he regarded her. She 
hesitated an instant, then cried : — 



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THE SEDUCER. 381 

" Between you and me there is no longer anything 
in common. I declare, before this witness, that I 
will never be your wife, and I forbid you to call your- 
self my child's father. May my tears, my sobs, my 
sufferings, my sleepless nights, and the disgrace that 
I have brought to my family bring down upon your 
head divine wrath ! May you be tortured by demons, 
and may Dumah invent for you new torments ! " 

In the midst of these imprecations her eyes became 
suddenly fixed in her head. Her arm appeared 
paralyzed and her legs sank under her ; a froth came 
from her mouth, and with a convulsive laugh and 
piercing cries she fell senseless. 

David fled from the house, his face covered with 
his hands. The maid ran for a physician, who, on 
his arrival, said that it was not an ordinary fainting, 
but a dangerous attack of apoplexy. All remedies 
used in such cases were employed, but the stricken 
one did not regain consciousness until toward even- 
ing, when she heard her child cry. She extended 
her arms to him, but her strength failed anew. 
Jacob watched by her bedside until daybreak. 



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382 THE JEW. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

BETWEEN TWO FIRES. 

Overcome with lassitude, Jacob, after returning 
home, threw himself on a couch, and was just going 
to sleep when the voice of Ivas awakened him. The 
young man, despite the efforts of the servant to bar 
the passage at such an early hour, had forced his way 
into Jacob's room. He wore a heavy hunting-coat, 
and carried on his shoulders a haversack. Heavy 
boots completed his costume, and his bearing ex- 
pressed ardour and energy. 

"We are to-day," commenced he without pre- 
amble, " in opposite camps. But I have not forgotten 
that I owe my return to Poland to you, and probably 
my life also, for your helping hand drew me from the 
deepest misery. I come to thank you for the last 
time, and to bid you an eternal adieu." 

"Why that?" 

" To-day I go directly to the forest. Our insurrec- 
tion may last some days, and it may last for years. 
We shall march, armed with batons, against the 
regular troops. The forests will serve us for camp, 
fortress, and arsenal. We shall march, scoffed at by 
some and cursed by others, and accompanied by the 
tears of the women who love us and whom we love. 



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BETWEEN TWO FIRES, '^^^i^ 

We will advance with despair in our souls, ever 
forward ! " 

"Why are you so hopeless?" 

''Because the young men who had confidence in 
us have been torn from us, and compelled to put on 
the uniform of the Muscovite soldier. We must save 
them or die ! You see I have no illusions. I know 
that I risk my life, and that perhaps in the future we 
may be accused of presumption, of folly, of puerile 
enthusiasm. No matter. National honour com- 
mands it, and I obey. For the last time, Jacob, I 
who am so near death adjure you not to be a traitor 
to your country, not to work against us." 

" Who has dared to accuse me of treason? " cried 
Jacob. 

" This accusation has been circulated. Perhaps they 
wish to make a striking example. I will no longer be 
there to defend you, and you will fall a victim to your 
own obstinacy." 

" Why I, rather than another? Have I ever made 
you any promises that I have not kept?" 

"You have enemies, and very dangerous ones. They 
accuse you of secret relations with the Russians, here 
on the first floor, at the rooms of your betrothed." 

" My betrothed ! I have none. She of whom you 
speak will never be anything to me." 

"But you go there, and you also go to Henri 
SegePs, who is in very bad odour with us. You openly 
speak against us ; and, lastly, you refused to pay that 
money to us." 



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384 ^^^ y^^' 

Jacob smiled sadly. 

" Singular destiny," said he. " I have enemies, and 
many of them ; I, who am no man's enemy. But you, 
Ivas, you do not mistrust me ? " 

"No, I honour your character ; I esteem you ; I 
have defended you, and I will continue to do so ; but 
the great majority of my companions think other- 
wise." 

" Let us talk no more of me. I am prepared for 
the worst. But tell me, is it not possible to delay the 
insurrection?" 

" It is impossible, and in my turn I also ask you to 
speak of something else." 

He was just going, when Kruder, all out of breath, 
rushed into the apartment. 

"Ah ! you are here," said he to Ivas; " at last I 
have found you. I see by your accoutrements that 
you are off. It is too soon, too soon, do you hear? 
In Heaven's name do not act prematurely and 
unreflectingly." 

" I suppose you would advise us to wait until the 
Russians seize us?" 

" You will all perish if you commence now." 

" So be it. At least our blood will be prolific." 

" Listen to the voice of reason." 

" We pi;efer to listen to that of despair. Have you 
witnessed any of the scenes provoked by the noc- 
turnal recruiting, when our men have been seized and 
forced into the Russian army? Have you heard the 
prayers of the young men torn from their mothers* 



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BETWEEN TWO FIRES. 385 

arms? Do you know what it is to be a Russian 
soldier?" 

" I know all ; but this is a supreme moment, and 
your action will involve the salvation or the loss of 
the country. Your passion is only a heroic egotism. 
Once more I call you to reason." 

" Say no more, Kruder. Folly is our reason, our 
watchword. And now, farewell, Jacob." 

Ivas and Kruder left at the same time, and Mann, 
who had just arrived, met them in the antechamber, 
.He was struck with the appearance of the two men. 
The younger man's dress shocked him. It had been 
for some days the sign of suspected revolutionists. 

He sank down in an arm-chair, while Jacob, sur- 
prised in the midst of his toilet, dressed himself. 

" I come," said he, " as your guardian's friend and 
your well-wisher, although I know you dislike me, to 
give you a salutary warning. It is useless for you to 
try to deceive me, or to resort to falsehoods." 

" I never lie, either to you or to any one else. 
Learn this, monsieur ; it is true that I do not see the 
necessity of boasting to every one, but I never say 
anything I do not mean." 

" If that is so, perhaps we can come to an under- 
standing. I will show you my hand. You are, with- 
out flattery, a prominent figure in Jewish society; 
your education and your fortune assure you an envia- 
ble position. That is why you are not absolute 
master of your acts, of which the responsibility be- 
longs to the class you represent. In compromising 



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386 THE JEW, 

yourself, you compromise us. The government watches 
men of your stamp, and we are judged by your con- 
duct. Every one is talking of your discussion at Ma- 
dame Wtorkowska's with Count Bavorof and Colonel 
Sofronof. Pikulinski has spread it in the city. And 
what did those two men want that just left here? 
Evidently you are being induced to take part with the 
revolutionists. What folly ! If it only endangered 
yourself it would not matter so much, but it can in- 
jure us who belong to the same society as you." 

" Is that all ? ^' asked Jacob impatiently. 

" It is enough, I think. What was the tenor of 
your conversation with Bavorof, the remembrance of 
which has made Pikulinski's very hair stand on end ? " 

" Do you know the counsellor of state? " 

" Certainly ! He is an ass in every sense of the 
word." 

" And you take notice of his judgment? " 

"Because Bavorof, also, thinks you a dangerous 
man. And this young man in revolutionary costume, 
with his great boots, what was he doing here ? A con- 
spirator, probably." 

" You are mistaken. He came to warn me to be 
on my guard, for I am threatened with death from his 
party. You see how that agrees with your accusa- 
tion." 

" That proves that you lack tact. You are, then, 
suspected by both parties." 

"It is often the fate of a conscientious man to 
bring upon himself the condemnation of all, because 



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BETWEEN TWO FIRES, 387 

he tells the bitter truth to both without shrinking 
under their threats or trying to gain favours. I am 
one of those men who act according to their con- 
victions, and I will not abandon them to please you." 
Then he added in Hebrew : — 

" ' Happy he who dies as he was bom, pure and 
without stain.' " (Baba Mezzia, 107. a.) 

Mann threw upon him a look of ironical compas- 
sion that might be literally translated: A fool you 
have lived, a fool you will die. 

" Really," said he, " there is nothing to be done 
with a man who quotes the Talmud when one is 
talking business. You wish, then, to be incarcerated 
in the citadel? And we shall suffer more or less 
from having been intimate with you. That is the 
worst of it." 

"What can I do?" 

'* You say that you are not a revolutionist? " 

" Truly, I am not." 

" Very well, take sides with those who oppose the 
revolution." 

'*But they are not content with fighting them 
legally. They add to it arbitrary terrorism," said 
Jacob. 

" Of two evils choose the lesser." 

" Yes ; the evil is in the two extremes, or rather the 
two extremes meet and form one evil. Despotism 
above, despotism below. I will serve neither the one 
nor the other. I am between the two." 

"I congratulate you on the excellent means you 



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388 THE JEW, 

have taken to ruin yourself. I am really sorry for 
you. The best thing for you in your frame of mind 
is to depart for foreign lands.'' 

" You would advise me, then, to desert, when my 
duty orders me, in this difficult crisis which has over- 
taken Poland, to remain and do what I c£^n for truth 
and justice. If I embarrass you," added he laughing, 
" you can blow out my brains for the public good." 

" Unfortunately that is not practicable. We should 
be implicated in an assassination. Well, if you will 
not go away, at least shut yourself up, and do not go 
on the streets." 

" Then they will say that I am a conspirator." 

** Meet only Russians." 

" I will irritate them by my remarks." 

" Be silent, then." 

" I must speak." 

'' May Dumah and a million devils catch you at 
last ! " cried Mann, rushing toward the door. " Fare- 
well ! " 



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THE HECONCILIATION. 389 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE RECONCILIATION. 

It was a sad day for Jacob, for many reasons. His 
friend had left him for almost certain death. A rude 
person had come to weary him with reproaches and 
complaints, and then followed a message from Saint 
Cjeorge*s street to hasten, as the invalid was in the last 
extremity. When he arrived, she was no longer of 
this world. Lia had breathed her last. 

There remained the orphan : what should he do 
with him? To whom confide him? Jacob thought 
of his mother at first ; the good woman blushed ; she 
attributed the parentage to Jacob, and in order to 
satisfy her scruples, he was obliged to relate to her the 
whole sad history. 

" I believe you,'* said she ; " but will others believe 
it? Seeing the child under your protection, what 
calumnies, think you, will be circulated ? " 

" Is it necessary, then, that I leave this poor inno- 
cent to hirelings ? And ought I to refuse to do my 
duty for fear of unjust criticism ? " 

" The child will never again find a mother, but I 
will place him in good hands. I will not hinder you 
from doing a good action, but I will save you from 



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390 THE JEW. 

the blame which might attach to your good name. 
You may leave it to me," said his mother. 

In his present mood, Jacob felt instinctively drawn 
toward Mathilde, and late in the evening he directed 
his steps to her house. The servants, accustomed to 
see him enter unannounced, opened the doors of the 
salon. He waited there for some time, looking at 
the closed piano, the stiffly-arranged fiimiture, and 
the withered flowers in the vases. Everything bore 
that air of desolation found in houses that have 
been closed for some time. 

Clad in a long, trained peignoir ^ Mathilde appeared, 
gliding like a shadow, with slow and measured steps. 
She was very much changed since he last saw her. 
Her eyes shone with a feverish fire, and her cheeks 
were sunken. Her former soft lassitude had become 
a torpor. She offered him a cold, trembling hand. 
Jacob understood by this reception that here as else- 
where he had been slandered ; but, happily, he was 
one of those characters whose clear conscience fortify 
them against all contumely. 

"Have I come at an inopportune moment?" said 
he. " In that case, I will go." 

"No. You could not arrive more opportunely. I 
was anxious to see you, monsieur." 

"You are ill." 

" Not the least in the world." 

" Well, Mathilde, so many unfortunate things have 
happened to me lately, that I come to you to comfort 
my tortured heart." 



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THE RECONCILIATION, 



39^ 



"Your heart? It is in the Old Testament." 

" I do not understand you. Do you doubt me? " 

" Ah 1 I do not know. This doubt is killing me. I 
wish to know all the worst ; then I can die. You used 
to be frank and sincere. Why do you deceive me 
now, like the others? " 

" This is too much, Mathilde," said Jacob. 

" Oh ! I have proofs of your deceit," cried she. 
" Would it not be better to confide in me as a sister, 
and say, ' I love another, I am tired of contact with 
a corpse. I wish a living creature * ? I would have 
answered you thus : ' Go, be happy ! ' In losing you I 
would at least have kept my respect for you." 

" Why do you not respect me now? " 

" What ! you dare to deny it ? " 

" Mathilde," replied Jacob gravely, " I assure you 
I have done nothing to merit these reproaches. I 
have never been guilty of forgetting you." 

"How explain, then, your mysterious adventure; 
that woman, who is she? " 

" You shall hear the truth," said Jacob. " Listen ! " 
He then related the dark drama of which Lia was the 
heroine, not omitting the scene of the previous even- 
ing and the morning's death. The poor girPs fate 
made Mathilde weep, but at the same time she felt 
proud and happy. Her beloved was worthy of her 
deepest respect. When he had finished she could 
hardly refrain from throwing herself at Jacob's feet 
and asking pardon for her unjust suspicions. 

" Forgive me," she cried, " for my foolish credu- 



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392 THE JEW, 

lity. But the calumny was so well devised that it had 
all the appearance of truth. It was repeated to me 
as undoubtedly true." 

" One thing astonishes me : it is that you did not 
come to me about it immediately. You were wrong 
not to demand an explanation." 

" A long and frightful torture has punished me for 
my hesitation. The da)rs that have passed since then 
have been the bitterest of my existence. Your sup- 
posed infidelity poisoned all remembrances of the 
past, and I tried to tear your image from my heart." 

** I could not have foreseen that a good action 
would have had such direful consequences," said Jacob 
sadly. 

" How happy would I be could I adopt the 
orphan ! Unfortunately, in this house I am a slave, a 
prisoner. I am respected, it is true, and the master 
surrounds me with luxury to gratify his vanity ; he 
strews flowers on my path to dazzle the world ; but in 
the midst of this perfumed atmosphere I am a captive, 
and very often envy the working women who live by 
labour, or in their poverty beg upon the streets. For 
a long time I have been abandoned. Henri Segel 
divides his days between the Russians and Muse. 
When I feel very ill the physician comes here. 
Sometimes a beggar appears, and, you will not believe 
it, under this exterior wealth I am often without 
money, without a sou to give for charity." 

She sighed, and continued : — 

" To-day I live again ; my soul is at peace once 



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THE RECONCILIATION, 



393 



more. I have been given back the only man in the 
world who makes me love humanity and believe in 
virtue." 

Their conversation was continued for a long time. 
Tea was served at the usual hour, and the English- 
woman arrived, but she had a bad cold and her pres- 
ence was a constraint. Absorbed in each other, they 
forgot the world. Mathilde went to the piano, which 
had been closed for several days, and the celebration 
of their reconciliation ended with the polonaise of 
Chopin (A-dur). 

When Jacob found himself some distance down the 
street he went back to look at the house he had just 
left as if he had a presentiment of not returning. 



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394 ^-^^ 7^^^ 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

JACOB IN FUGHT. 

Warsaw presented a strange sight. From all its 
doors the population hurried toward the forests. The 
combat had been precipitated, and they rushed eagerly 
to death. 

The Russians paid no attention to this exodus. 
They did not wish to oppose it. 

At the Chateau de Brtihl they repeated the saying : 
" When the abscess is ripe it must surely burst ! " 
The cold-blooded authorities did not say that this 
abscess was the result of a purulent malady, engendered 
by unbridled oppression. They cared neither for the 
suffering which it produced in ripening, nor for the 
blood which was lost in bursting. 

In the interior of the capital everything seemed to 
be in a normal condition. Only the initiated recog- 
nized in the streets the gladiators vowed to death, 
for the fever in their souls was concealed by a deceit- 
ful calm. From time to time, rumours were secretly 
circulated that companies had been formed under the 
very nose of the Russian troops, that Muscovite de- 
tachments had been beaten, that the insurgents had 
taken such a village, that here and there the ^atioQal 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 395 

flag had been ostentatiously displayed and the revo- 
lutionary government proclaimed. 

Gromof alone persisted in declaring the revolution- 
ary movement premature, and sought to check the 
torrent. Vain efforts ; the dikes were ^broken, and 
the rallying word was *' Liberty or death ! " 

Thoughtful men, however, foresaw the imminent 
explosion of Muscovite vengeance. A barbarous and 
savage repression began, like that of 1 794, in the time 
of Kosciusko. Then some concealed themselves in the 
thickets, while others fell into the hands of the police. 
Houses were searched, and in some cases destroyed, 
during the hunt for insurgents. Roofs were broken 
in and floors pulled up, and often, in default of find- 
ing the guilty, the innocent were made to suffer in 
their stead. The citadel was crowded with prisoners. 
Every day files of the unfortunates, including nobles 
of high degree, left for Siberia, and chains commenced 
to be lacking, so many were imprisoned. 

And during these horrors the groves put forth joy- 
ously their green leaves, the turf was carpeted with 
flowers, and the lark sang in the clear azure heaven ; 
but the doom of the destroyer was over all. 

Russia prepared her saturnalias to celebrate a defi- 
nite victory. By hundreds of thousands the soldiers 
tracked the insurgents, who were scattered in bands 
without camps, without money, without arms or 
powder. Yet victory was delayed for a whole 
year. 

One might attribute the rage of the Russian 



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396 THE JEW, 

government to the humiliation of the army, if the 
slowness of the manoeuvres had not, as we have 
already said, been premeditated. The Russians 
wished to crush Poland, but they wished it to ap- 
pear as if the revolution had been entirely a surprise. 
Since 1863 her vengeance had increased in ferocity, 
redoubled under a thousand pretexts. Her cruelty 
had now become systematic. And the civilized 
world assisted at this frightful execution by looking 
on with cold indifference at such sufferings. 

Jacob saw in his imagination the dark future of 
Poland, — a future become a perpetual present. He 
was almost desperate at his impotency to stay the 
impending disaster. To despair, succeeded apathy. 
What good was life, thought he, without high aim. 
And, alas, all the ways towards this end were closed 
to him ! He tried vainly to become absorbed in 
reading, but his brain seemed congealed. A heavy 
slumber like a lethargy overtook him. When he 
opened his eyes the lamp was out, and the morning 
light filled the room. He opened the windows. The 
sky was sad and sombre, like his soul. In the silence 
of the new-born day he heard steps on his staircase ; 
some one knocked at his door. He opened the 
door, and a man quickly entered. A long cloak 
covered him completely, and his hat was drawn over 
his eyes. It was Kruder. 

"You know all, do you not? Then you are all 
ready?" cried he. 

"All — what?" 



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JACOB IX FLIGHT, 397 

" There's not a minute to lose. It is four o'clock. 
You have an hour and a half, or two hours at the 
most, before you." 

" What is it, then? " asked Jacob. 

"There is no use beating about the bush with a 
man like you. In two hours they are coming to 
arrest you." 

"Why?" 

" One never knows why in these times. I bring 
you a passport. I procured it yesterday, before the 
authorities at the chateau had warned the police 
against passports. Come, do not tarry 1 " 

"Where shall I go?" 

"Where you will." 

'* Would it not be possible for me to wait, and 
prove myself innocent? " 

" You jest ! They would answer you by sending 
you to the extreme borders of the Russian empire. 
They are doing it every day." 

" Be it so ! They would send me back." 

"And you would submit to Russian brutality when 
you can avoid it ? " 

" To leave my country at such a supreme moment 
would be to compromise my Israelite acquaintances, 
which Mann has recently reproached me for. I would 
be accused also of cowardly motives, of excessive 
prudence, of calculating egotism, and my flight would 
justify the accusation." 

"The moments are precious. Keep yourself for 
better times. Captivity would ruin you, and unfit 



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398 THE JEW, 

you for the future. The insurrection is strengthening. 
No one can foresee the result. European diplomacy 
may interfere. It is true that the uprising is prema- 
ture, but it is possible that this time they may obtain 
some concessions. You can be useful to us. Keep 
your intelligence, your relations, and your fortune for 
Poland." 

"Intelligence falsified by m)rsticism. Every one 
says ' relations,* but with whom ? My ideas are always 
in contradiction with those around me ; there remains 
to me only a fortune. Alone, whom can I serve? " 

" Come on ! This is no time for pessimism. You 
must decide." 

" My resolution is taken. I will go and make my 
farewells to my mother, and leave her in charge of 
the house. I will go far away, and there reflect as to 
what is the best course to pursue. I can give myself 
up to the gendarmes at any time, but not just yet. I 
will accompany you. Do you know of a safe place 
for a few hours?" 

" Yes. Come with me." 

Jacob lost no time in changing his clothes and ran 
to embrace his mother. He filled his pocket-book 
with bank-notes, and a quarter of an hour later was 
in the streets with Kruder. By many devious ways 
they arrived at the poorer quarter of the town. The 
fugitive had for a moment entertained the idea of 
seeking the hospitality of Segel, of Bartold, or of his 
guardian, but after reflection he feared to compro- 
mise them. 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 399 

"We are going to the 'Kafamaum/ " said Kruder 
smiling. 

" The Kafamaum ? What is that ? " 

"A sobriquet of my own invention to designate the 
place where the revolutionists meet." 

" You belong to them, then? " 

" I belong to everybody and to nobody," answered 
he. " I enter, I listen. I give my advice and I en- 
gage in arguments, and I wait. With me you will be 
welcomed at the Kafamaum." 

" Is it a safe asylum? " 

"Excellent, no one suspects, and therefore it has 
nothing to fear from the police. It is in the house 
of the commissatre of the ward." 

" Let us go there, then." 

Kruder turned into an alley. It was growing light, 
but the city was still quiet and deserted, and the only 
people abroad were the milkmen and the huck- 
sters. They stopped before a house. At the en- 
trance were some gendarmes, police, and individuals 
in citizens' dress. By a staircase which opened on 
the court they ascended to the second story. The 
house was new, and the apartment at the door of 
which they stopped had a fine external appearance. A 
servant who was half asleep let them in, and without 
question indicated a second door. This led them to 
a spacious salon. Two men were writing at a large 
table by the light of a lamp. The couches and easy- 
chairs were occupied by young men, whose fatigued 
air bore witness that they had passed a sleepless night. 



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400 THE JEW, 

Kruder whispered some words into the ears of the 
two men at the table. These persons, whose faces 
were somewhat familiar to Jacob, offered him their 
hands. 

" Here," said they, " no one can come to seek you. 
As we have no secrets from honest men, we will con- 
tinue our work before you. We conspire even in the 
open air, in the public streets, and as yet we have not 
fallen under suspicion. Be seated, take part in our 
deliberations, give us your advice, — we ask it. To- 
day it is necessary to combine all our forces to arm, 
to rouse enthusiasm and practise strategy. Do not be 
disturbed, monsieur; do as you would in your own 
house." 

Kruder, whose custom was to take no sides, went 
from one to another, read the order of the day over 
the secretary's shoulder, listened to short dialogues 
between different persons, and then hastened to some 
other meeting. 

Jacob, left there by his friend, assisted at a strange, 
and to him novel, spectacle. Every instant the door 
opened ; it was a continual going and coming of 
individuals of all ages and of all ranks of society. 
Among them were women, children, Jews, and eccle- 
siastics. Some brought good or bad news, messages 
and money, while others came to receive orders or to 
bring letters, and in this crowd appeared some in uni- 
forms which bore the insignia of high rank in the 
army. They showed by their faces and bearing 
traces of a long and fatiguing military career. The 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 40I 

breasts of many were covered with decorations gained 
in the Caucasus or in the Taschkend. In contrast 
with these officers were workmen, artisans, idlers, and 
vagabonds. The movement was incessant, and the 
crowd was continually changing. 

A youth who had been wounded came to relate 
the particulars of the cortlbat, where he had received a 
bullet in his leg. He asked for a surgeon to extract 
it, and seemed impatient to return to the seat of war. 
His face was lighted up with heroism, and the fever 
of his patriotism exceeded the fever of his wound. 

A workman came in haste to announce that the 
police had made a raid on a clandestine printing- 
house where he was employed, and from which he 
had escaped through the roof. Immediate decision 
was taken to establish another printing-office in 
another hiding-place. 

The revolution displayed an immense activity which, 
notwithstanding, was defective. Necessary funds 
were not forthcoming, in spite of the threats and 
prayers employed to procure them. Every moment 
there arrived from the insurgents scattered in the 
forests complaints of lack of arms, powder, ambu- 
lances, medicines, and surgeons. There were rumours 
that this or that emissary had fallen into the hands of 
the Russians, or that a knavish contractor, who had 
been paid in advance, had delivered a cargo of guns 
which proved to be utterly useless, the refuse of the 
Austrian arsenals. These difficulties did not daunt 
the committee, for it was composed of men of un- 



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402 THE JEW. 

heard-of audacity and bravery, who had already 
accomplished miracles with their scanty resources. 
Russian surveillance was relaxed, and this fact, which 
should have made the revolutionists suspicious, en- 
couraged their efforts. Their confidence increased 
daily. From all the Polish ^provinces, and even from 
the districts incorporated with the Russian empire in 
1772, came assurances of warmest sympathy, but each 
accompanied by an urgent prayer to delay the up- 
rising. It was too late. The duchy of Posen, annexed 
to Prussia, and Galicia, with the city of Cracow, which 
was subservient to Austria, viewed the situation with 
the deepest interest, but did not revolt for fear of 
drawing down on Poland two more adversaries. 
These remnants of the old republic sent volunteers 
and money, and at the same time procured some arms 
from Austria, not always openly, though the government 
at Vienna closed its eyes and let them pass. 

Gromof had the right of entrance to the Kafarnaum. 
Here he continued to oppose the insurrection, and 
excited general ridicule. 

" Instead of blaming our enthusiasm," replied they, 
" do something for us. Work the army. Work the 
dissenters from the orthodox church." 

" Alas ! " replied Gromof, " that is what we are do- 
ing. But our people do not respond to the first 
appeal. We have yet to instruct them and teach 
them their rights." 

" And you desire us to remain inactive and wait for 
these babes to grow up ? Oh, no 1 You cannot 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 403 

expect that any more than for us to return to the 
Greek calendar." 

" But you are going to your own destruction. You 
are on the brink of an abyss." 

" An abyss ! To hell ! rather than your yoke," 
cried an impetuous youth. 

This argument was interrupted by a woman who 
came to tell that her son had been sent to the citadel, 
and that she had succeeded in saving some very com- 
promising papers that he carried on his person. 
After the woman came a youth almost a child. He 
told how he had fled from the soldiers who had seized 
him for the Russian service. 

Amid this noisy crowd came and went women chat- 
ting tranquilly, carrying important despatches hidden 
in their stockings or their corsets, and messengers 
waited while cobblers drew the nails from the 
heels of their boots where messages had been 
inserted. 

Jacob saw before him an admirable tableau of devo- 
tion. To him the spectacle was most pitiful, for he 
was convinced that all these efforts could only result 
in a final catastrophe. Kruder returned. He in- 
formed his friend that one hour after their departure 
the police had invaded his dwelling, searched his 
papers, demolished stoves, had even taken up part of 
the floor, and carried away as sole trophy a pocket 
pistol, a prohibited weapon. The house was placed 
under strict supervision, and the search for Jacob was 
now going on in the streets. 



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\ 



404 THE JEW. 



There remained to him the choice between flight or 
prison; but whither should he fly? He thought of 
some obscure streets where the poor Jews lived. He 
had among them many friends whom he had aided in 
their distress. He had often penetrated into these 
houses of misery with the idea of devoting himself 
some day to their total extinction. With this end in 
view he had organized a Jewish school, for in his 
opinion popular instruction was the basis of moral 
reform and material improvement. 

One man in particular in this quarter he ki^ew well. 
A certain R^b^ Schmul, a petty merchant who had 
been on the verge of bankruptcy when Jacob had set 
him once more on his feet. His back loaded with 
old clothes, he walked in the cold or the heat crying 
in the streets, ''Hendel! Hendeir' ("Old clothes ! old 
clothes ! ") Nothing escaped his glance or his hearing. 
He heard the calls from the garrets, and introduced 
himself into the courts at the risk of being harshly 
treated. It was a laborious business, and often 
scarcely sufficed to sustain existence. At the most it 
permitted him to buy a little fish and a morsel of 
white bread for the Sabbath. 

R^b6 Schmul and his wife were growing old ; they 
had five daughters, two of whom were married, while 
three remained at home. In all, five mouths to feed. 
To do this it was necessary that each day, in all 
seasons, the pedler should tramp from early morning 
until nightfall. He must also be careful not to make 
a bad bargain in buying old clothes, which often 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 405 

appeared so well that a hole would pass unperceived. 
There lies the danger of the business, and Schmul, 
although experienced, had been taken in more than 
once. Tall and thin, he did not look his age, for, as 
he said, he had no time to think of it. In this busi- 
ness, which he had followed for more than thirty years, 
he had become a keen observer of men ; and from 
this study was bom in his soul not contempt, but 
compassion, for his fellow-creatures. Although he 
was very poor, he often found some one more un- 
fortimate, who drew from him the last sou in his 
pocket in charity. Besides this sensibility, he was 
distinguished by a jovial humour. His natural gayety 
served him well in trading. A smile always attracts, 
and he by his bright ways encouraged men who were 
obliged to sell their best garments, and softened the 
bitterness of the sacrifice. Schmul always had a joke 
to tell, and a smile on his lips, when he left home 
in the early morning or when he returned weary and 
footsore at night. He treated his sick wife with 
pleasantry ; by pleasantry he consoled his daughters 
in their chagrins ; and lastly he fortified himself there- 
by, when he felt that a sigh was likely to escape his 
breast. 

No one celebrated with more enjoyment the feast 
of the Sabbath than did Schmul, in his narrow and 
crowded lodging, by the Hght of a tallow candle. 
His business did not prosper, although he worked so 
hard. This was a disappointment to him, for he had 
dreamed of enlarging his stock by the addition of 



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4o6 THE JEW, 

blacking and matches ; but circumstances had not as 
yet permitted the realization of his hopes. Then he 
bought tickets in the lottery, and each time hoped to 
gain the grand prize. In vain did his wife beg him to 
renounce this delusion, and use the money in buying 
the necessaries of life for his family. When she had 
scolded him well, his only reply was that he must 
not shut his door against the good God. 

Schmul lodged with his family on the third floor of 
a large house inhabited by many other Jewish families, 
all equally poor. This building, it is needless to say, 
did not shine with neatness. It was constructed in a 
rectangle with a narrow front, and opened upon a 
court. On each story a wooden gallery served for 
the workroom of the household. Here they washed 
and dried the linen. Here they split the wood, and 
cooked the food, and dressed the children. What 
did they not do here ? Old clothes of all kinds were 
stretched on ropes, and the odours of the cooking, the 
steam from many wash-boilers, the waters from which 
ran through the court, produced a perfume which the 
lodgers endured from force of habit only. The in- 
habitants were like one family, many of whom had 
been bom and were destined to die in this receptacle 
of misery. 

Schmul occupied three dark rooms, where the air 
and the light came only from the court. You can 
imagine what air and what light ! Both had to filter 
through the wet clothes and the rags which hung on 
the ropes stretched from one gallery to another. 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT, 407 

One of these rooms served for a parlour, and 
possessed a rickety sofa and two old arm-chairs. 
The other apartment was the bedroom for the old 
couple; the third, the chamber of the three girls. 
It was here that the Schmul girls cleaned, patched, 
and mended the old clothes. A memorable event 
happened here. The father loved to tell of it as a 
proof of the protection of Providence. 

Ten years before, the pedler's position was des- 
perate. He had been so unfortunate as to buy some 
clothes that proved to be stolen. He was obliged to 
give back the goods, beside paying a large fine. To 
raise the money for this he had appealed to several 
friends in vain. Seeing no way out of his embarrass- 
ment, he had gone out and had succeeded in selling 
an old cloak for a few florins. He had just returned 
home when a soldier came and wished to sell him an 
old velvet waistcoat. He refused to buy it ; but the 
man insisted, and seizing him by the arm, made such 
a noise that Schmul gave him a small sum for the 
garment. He soon perceived that he had made a 
poor purchase, for it was nearly worthless. He gave 
it to one of his girls to patch, who presently uttered a 
great cry of joy, for under each button she had found 
a piece of gold, the total of which was sufficient to 
pay the fine. 

The waistcoat contained also a paper written over 
closely, but the writing was almost effaced and inde- 
cipherable. 

It was not possible to return the garment to its 



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4o8 THE JEW, 

owner, for the soldier had evidently stolen it. Never- 
theless, Schmul did not believe it right to appropriate 
a sura which seemed to have been sent from Heaven ; 
he considered himself the depositary, and distributed 
the whole in small sums to political prisoners. This 
act describes the man. Unfortunate though he was, 
he paid his debt to an unknown. He often showed 
pieces of the waistcoat when he had occasion to 
relate the story, and returned thanks to Providence, 
for he was very pious. 

He always left home early in the morning and did 
not return until dark. He carried an old umbrella, 
formerly blue, but become by long usage an indefin- 
able colour. It was less to shield himself than to 
shelter his merchandise from the rain, the snow, and 
the sun. His breakfast was invariably composed of a 
raw onion or a smoked herring, with a morsel of 
bread and a small glass of brandy. In the evening he 
loved to find some hot dish awaiting him, and seated 
at the table he related the most amusing incidents 
of the day, to which his family listened attentively. 
Then came the prayer before going to bed. 

The pedler was generally loved on account of his 
good character and jovial spirit. People were sur- 
prised that with his intelligence he had not already 
made his fortune. He replied by likening himself to 
a pair of scissors. Be they ever so sharp, they were 
no use without something to cut. Gold was the some- 
thing that God, in his wisdom, had not given to every 
one. 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 409 

Jacob arrived at the staircase which led to the 
Schmuls' lodging. He ascended without seeing the 
pedler, who, returning from his work, followed him, 
and stopped at the same time before the door of his 
lodging, on which was, graven the name of God. 
Following the custom, he touched it with his hand 
and afterwards kissed it. It was then that Schmul 
recognized him. 

^^ Salem alekem,^^ said he. 

^^Alekem salem^^ replied the fugitive. 

" Rabbi Jacob, tell me why I am honoured by your 
presence? " asked Schmul. 

" I am in trouble," replied Jacob. 

" Can I do anything for you? " 

" Yes, and easily, I hope." 

" Even if it were not easy you may count on me to 
do all I can." 

They entered ; the old man dusted the sofa and 
the table in Jacob's honour, and begged him to be 
seated. The prettiest and the boldest of his daughters, 
Ros^l^, came to help him. Notwithstanding their 
poverty, she was dressed neatly and in good taste, and 
her beautiful black eyes indicated a certain coquetry. 

" Now that you are seated," said Schmul, " I will 
listen to you." 

" In a moment. Rest yourself first, you must be 
tired." 

" Oh, as for that, yes ! I cannot say how many 
stairs I have cHmbed to-day. I have done well. 
There are some young Poles who sold their last fine 



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410 THE JEW, 

shirts to buy thick warm garments. I did not have 
to make myself hoarse to-day by crying * Hendel T 
Everybody called to me. They sold at any price. I 
had not enough money, and was obliged to borrow of 
old Mortchel." 

" I am obliged," said Jacob in a low voice, *' to 
leave Warsaw. The police paid a visit to my house 
this morning." 

" To your house ? Is it possible ? Are you then. 
Rabbi Jacob, one of those madmen who tempt 
God?" 

" No j but the Russian government often arrests in- 
nocent people." 

" This is true. They do it every day. No one is 
secure here, nor ever has been under Russian rule." 

" Do you know any one who can conduct me in 
safety to the first post station?" 

" Certainly. Under this very roof dwells Mordko. 
As every one must live by some means, he is a smug- 
gler. Merchandise, papers, men, he gets them all 
across the frontier. Thus, by exposing his head every 
day, he feeds his stomach." 

"Can I trust him?" 

"Entirely. This Mordko is a queer fellow, and 
when you see him you will not doubt him. Half 
mute, almost blind, he can scarcely say four words or 
take three steps. He has such a stupid and innocent 
air that he is never suspected. I wDl go and find 
him." 

Madame Schmul came in to keep Jacob company, 



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JACOB IN FLIGHT. 411 

and at the half- open door the three girls peeped at 
him with admiration. Ros^l^ said to herself ; " What 
happiness for me if I could please this rich man. 
But, alas ! I must not think of it. I am called beau- 
tiful, but no doubt I should not satisfy a man such as 
he." 

In a few moments Schmul returned with a very 
shabby individual. He looked at Jacob from head to 
foot attentively. 

" He already understands the situation," said the 
pedler. " You need make no further explanations." 

" I wish to leave at once," said Jacob. 

" To-night? No ! " replied Mordko. "Too dan- 
gerous ! Morning will be better." 

" But I cannot sleep here, there is no room, and 
the hotels are surrounded by the police." 

" I know a place where you can sleep quietly. I 
will return in a moment, and conduct you to it." 

As soon as Mordko had gone, Schmul said to his 
visitor : — 

"Your flight gives me great sorrow. When will 
you return? No one knows. Your absence is a mis- 
fortune for the Israelites. You are the only one who 
could restore our old purity of religion. No one 
else, and now you are taken from us." 

" If I am really useful to our cause, be sure that 
the God of Israel will protect me," replied Jacob. 

" Then you will return, safe and sound. I have a 
presentiment. And waiting here we will drink th^ 
bitter cup to the dregs." 



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412 THE JEW, 

Mordko returned, and Jacob, under his guidance, 
went to a small hotel in the suburbs, where he was 
given an isolated chamber. He soon slept, and 
for several hours the fugitive was oblivious to the 
world. 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY. 



413 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

LOVE OF COUNTRY. 

It was not an easy thing to travel in Poland in the 
time of the revolution. The country was scoured by 
bands of Cossacks, and battalions of regular troops 
inundated the cities and villages, took possession of 
any place they fancied with impunity, and committed 
all kinds of excesses. In the ravaged fields the un- 
fortunate farmers beheld both their friends and ene- 
mies tear from them the nourishment of their wives 
and children. 

Mordko brought Jacob safely by a circuitous route 
to the post station, whence a carriage took him to the 
village where Jankiel dwelt. 

Here he learned that the two Davids were absent. 
The elder lived in Warsaw, under the protection of 
the Russian governor, and the younger took some 
part in the insurrection, and had acquired the name 
of an ardent patriot. 

Jacob surprised Jankiel, all alone, bent over a large 
book. He saw how suffering had emaciated the old 
man, who, not divining who his visitor was, did not 
raise his head, but signed with his hand that he wished 
to finish his pious meditation. At the end of a few 



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414 THE JEW, 

moments he closed his book, and recognizing Jacob, 
received him with great cordiality. 

" Do you bring me bad news? " he asked. 

"No, I will tell you all frankly. I have been 
threatened with arrest ; for what, I know not. I have 
been advised to absent myself, and I come to you to 
shelter me a little while from the storm." 

" The storm is still far from its end. The clouds 
thicken ; but come what will I receive you with all my 
heart, and my house is at your service." 

" I am at present at the hotel." 

Jankiel rose, went to the door, and called by name 
a Jew who was passing, and who came running to him. 

" Go and get this gentleman's luggage at the hotel, 
and bring it to the chamber opposite mine. 

" I will not permit you to dwell away from me," 
said he. "There is in this village a regiment of 
soldiers, who search every traveller. You will be safe 
here. But much as I desire your company, and you 
know how welcome you are, yet believe me it will be 
better for you to leave this place. There will soon 
be trouble here. The Russians are letting the revo- 
lution grow, so as to have a greater chance for pillage. 
I have been through all this before, in 1809, 181 2, 
and 1 83 1. What the result will be now, God only 
knows; but I fear the worst." 

After a moment of silence and visible embarrass- 
ment, he added : — 

" My wife is ill, my daughter is ill, and our house 
is in mourning. Only the holy books help me to 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY, 



415 



bear my sorrow. Those people," he pointed to the 
house of the Davids, " are gone. One to the city, the 
other, it is said, to the insurgents. I do not congratu- 
late them on the acqiusition. Unhappy is the cause 
which is upheld by impure men ! " 

Jankiel and Jacob were reading, when suddenly 
there was heard in the silent street the sound of 
horses galloping over the uneven pavement. From 
the window they saw in the square below a group of 
Cossacks and several carts. There were savage cries, 
and then, in a vibrating voice, came an order for 
silence from the commander. 

Jankiel sent out for information. A detachment 
of Russian soldiers, the advance guard of several 
regiments, escorted a chief of the rebels taken in a 
bloody combat, wounded and dying. The straw bed 
on the cart where the man lay was soaked with blood, 
and yet, if alive, he would be hung on the morrow ! 
Such was the story told by the soldiers, who soon 
spread themselves through the dwellings of the 
village. 

Jankiel foresaw that some of the officers would be 
quartered upon him, and, fearing what might follow, 
went to hide his daughter in her mother's room. He 
disposed of his money in secret places, known only to 
himself, keeping in his pocket a sufficient sum for 
urgent necessities. The precious vessels had already 
been carefully put in a place of safety. With perfect 
presence of mind he warned the servants to say that 
Jacob was his son-in-law, and then seated himself 



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4l6 THE JEW, 

quietly to await events. The village was full of sol- 
diers, who received orders to form a camp in the 
market square. The officers alone installed them- 
selves in the private houses, and the night was advanced 
when the colonel of the regiment arrived at JankiePs 
dwelling. 

He was not a barbarous-looking man ; his manner 
and bearing were those of a cultured person. Not- 
withstanding, the man was not necessarily a gentle- 
man. For in the Russian army, as in Russian society, 
superficial culture often covers the most base corrup- 
tion. Men who are charming in the drawing-room 
are often cruel and brutal in the exercise of authority, 
as if they wished to make up to themselves for the 
restraint placed on them by the requirements of 
society. The colonel bore a G^erman name, Tende- 
mann; his extraction was a mystery to every one, 
and perhaps to himself. 

He was pale, excited, and angry ; the reason for 
which was the responsibility which rested on his shoul- 
ders. He was no longer a man ; he was a Russian in 
the full sense of the word. He entered without 
saluting any one, and without informing the propri- 
etor. All he thought of was to lodge comfortably. 
At the door of his sick wife's room Jankiel barred the 
way respectfully, and said ; — 

" This is my wife's room, who is sick in bed." 

The colonel, without noticing the old man, opened 
the door, examined the place indicated, looked into 
the next room, and then descended in silence to the 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY. 



417 



lower floor. There he stopped, and said that he 
would stay for the night. His men soon spread them- 
selves over the house, demanding loudly a samovar, a 
fire, candles, and hot water. In a spacious chamber 
several officers were engaged in boisterous conversa- 
tion ; from above it sounded like the noise of a storm 
accompanied by peals of thunder. 

Jankiel and Jacob were seated alone, watchful and 
anxious. Information gathered from the servants veri- 
fied the first reports. A Russian detachment, sent in 
the pursuit of a troop of insurgents, had surprised 
them in the middle of the night, surrounded and cap- 
tured them. The Poles defended themselves with 
their usual heroism, but they lacked ammunition, and 
they were soon beaten. Their young chief fought 
valiantly until he fell grievously wounded. It was this 
hero whom they were taking to be hanged, a proof of 
his distinction, for the other officers who were captured 
had been simply shot on the spot. The colonel of 
the detachment watched this prisoner with great care, 
that he might not escape the scaffold, and ordered 
him placed in a neighbouring house under a strong 
guard, — an unnecessary precaution, for the unfortunate 
could not move and his case was a desperate one. 
His name the Russian soldiers mutilated after their 
fashion. Like most of the revolutionary chiefs, he 
went under one that was assumed. 

The sufferings of the unknown, for whom a scaffold 
was being erected on the market-place, moved Jacob's 
s)anpathies strongly. If he could not serve him, he 



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4l8 THE JEW. 

believed it his duty to at least console him. He com- 
municated his desires to Jankiel. 

" The thing seems very difficult to me," replied the 
old man ; " but I will try and see him. After all, I 
do not risk much at my age." 

Then Jankiel put on his long black coat, took his 
czapkay descended the staircase, and begged the 
guard at the door to announce him to the colonel. 

The latter was lying on the sofa, his legs stretched 
out, with a cigar in his mouth, when Jankiel entered 
and stood respectfully at the door. 

"What do you want?" asked the colonel 
brusquely. 

" I wish to know if your lordship lacks anything." 

" If I wanted anything in the house, I would take 
it without your pennission. These are times of 
war." 

" Certainly." 

"What do they think here of the rebels? " 

" Nothing, that I know of." 

" Have they passed by here ? " 

" No." 

" You all reply the same way, for you are at heart 
their friends. Jewish dogs ! " 

" We have always been loyal to our sovereign." 

" And why, then, do you not chase the insurgents, 
and give them up to the authorities? " 

" That would not be natural for Jews. We are 
peaceful men and have a horror of war." 

The colonel rose and walked up and down the 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY. 



419 



room. Jankiel bowed low, and said to him in a low 
voice : — 

" Your lordship knows, perhaps, that, following a 
custom of our religion, when a man is sentenced to 
death, it is the duty of the Jews where the execution 
takes place to offer a repast to the condemned." 

"What is that you are saying? The custom of 
which you speak no longer exists. You have in- 
vented it. Why do you wish to see the prisoner, and 
how dare you lie to me ? " 

The custom did not really exist; Jankiel had 
imagined it in pious thought, but how could Colonel 
Tendemann know about it ? That is what the Jew 
asked himself, fixing a scrutinizing glance on the 
officer. 

" Why do you look at me thus ? What do you 
mean? " cried the colonel. 

" It is admiration, for Vour lordship must be deeply 
learned to know what the Talmud does and does not 
contain. You have then, no doubt, read that which 
the rabbin Ichochuah said of prisoners." 

The colonel, pale and trembling, listened to the old 
man. There seemed to be a struggle going on within 
him ; his lips trembled, and a mist came over his eyes ; 
the voice of Jankiel made a strange impression on 
him. He tried to force himself to be cruel, but in 
vain, — an invincible sentiment held him. The old 
man remarked this emotion, but did not know how 
to interpret it. 

After a short silence the colonel wiped his forehead, 
and said in an angry tone : — 

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420 THE JEW, 

"Why do you remain here? What are you wait- 
ing for? Go away ! Go away ! Do not think of 
the condemned. His hours are numbered." 

" May your lordship " — 

" Gk) away before I do something to you ! " cried 
he. At the same time he approached the Jew, and 
whispered in his ear in German : — 

" Go away. I will come to you soon." 

In the German pronunciation of the colonel, as 
well as in his features, there was a barely perceptible 
trace of Jewish origin. But why suppose this Russian 
officer to be a child of Israel? Jankiel refused to 
admit the thought. Nevertheless, he could not for- 
get it, and was thinking of it when he entered the 
room. He said nothing to Jacob, who went to his 
chamber, a prey to the deepest anxiety. 

About a half-hour later a step was heard on the 
stairs. The Muscovite entered, his face as white 
as snow. He glanced eagerly around the room, the 
Jewish character of which seemed to fascinate him ; 
books, inscriptions, portraits of rabbins, all attracted 
his attention. He held out his hand to Jankiel, and 
said to him : — 

" Salem alekem:' 

'^Aiekem saletn^^ replied the old man, amazed. 

No more explanation was needed. Without doubt 
the colonel was a Jew. His father, or he himself, in 
order to enter the service of the government, had 
adopted the orthodox Greek faith. Nevertheless, the 
fire of the belief of his ancestors and of his repudi- 
ated race burned beneath the ashes. 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY, 421 

The colonel seated himself. Jankiel observed him 
thoughtfully. 

The Russian's figure trembled with the remorse of 
apostasy. He was one of those numerous Jews who 
have adopted the belief, the customs, and the preju- 
dices of the country in which they live, but have, in 
spite of themselves, often after several generations, 
irresistible longings for the faith of their fathers. 

By a sign he indicated to Jankiel the sacred word 
inscribed on the door, and, approaching with vener- 
ation an open volume of the Talmud, turned the 
leaves respectfully. For many years he had not come 
in contact with the Hebrew characters and the 
language of the commandments, but he remembered 
the days of his childhood, when his father taught him 
secretly to read that language which had come upon 
earth from the mouth of God. At first he could 
hardly read the letters, but little by little light dawned 
upon him, and with intense delight he read on, ob- 
livious to all around him ; the day's combat, the tragedy 
of the morrow, his military rank, Russia, his Czar, and 
the entire world were all forgotten. 

His eyes, unused to weep, were full of tears, of re- 
gret or of consolation it would have been difficult to 
say which ; probably the two sentiments were united. 

By chance his eyes fell upon this prayer for the 
dead : — 

" God of mercy, deign to remember the men who 
have been more swift than the eagles and stronger 
than the lions in the accomplishment of thy holy will. 



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4^2 THE JEW, 

and do not forget to show thy vengeance on those who 
have shed the blood of thy servants." 

Jankiel contemplated with emotion that which 
seemed to him a miracle. The colonel, after reading 
for some time, seemed overcome, and leaned back in 
his chair. His host said to him gently : — 

" God will be merciful to those who repent." 

'* I do not know," answered the servant of the 
Czar, "which I ought to regret more, — what I have 
been, or what I am ; but is it my own fault that I am 
a renegade? My father chose for himself and for me. 
I belong to-day to an alien race. I weep when I re- 
member Israel, until a wild madness possesses my 
spirit ; then I tremble lest they may recognize under 
his new skin the cursed Jew. I tremble for fear I may 
betray myself by pitying a brother Jew. My children 
do not know that the blood of Jewish rabbis flows in 
their veins. Ah, may they never know that they are 
the children of a traitor, of an apostate ! " 

" Brother," said Jankiel, hastening to take advan- 
tage of his softened mood, " what are you going to do 
with the prisoner? " 

" Do not speak of him. He is condemned by su- 
perior orders. To-morrow will be his last day on 
earth. I am sorry, but I can do nothing." 

" It is a pity. Perhaps he has a mother, a sister, or 
a wife. I wish I could be permitted to see him." 

" What is he to you ? What have we Jews in com- 
mon with the Poles? Have you forgotten their con- 
duct toward our people ? " 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY, 



423 



" I do not forget that we are bom on the same 
soil," said the old man.* "And our immortal law- 
giver orders us to raise the burden from the weary 
beast. Should we have less compassion for a man, 
even if he were a pagan?" 

" I am under the surveillance of a thousand evil 
eyes. You can, however, buy my soldiers with brandy 
or money. For money these wretches would sell their 
own father and mother. And then you may do what 
you can for the unfortunate man." 

" You will permit it ? I will send my kinsman in 
my place. He will be safe, will he not ? " 

" I permit nothing. I will shut my eyes, and I wish 
to know nothing of it." 

Jankiel left the colonel for a moment to tell Jacob, 
and found him dressed ready for any emergency. He 
had already arranged a plan with an old Jew named 
Herszko, nicknamed the Madr^. He put on his old 
clothes, with two bottles of rum in his pockets, and 
they went out on the street. The hour was late, the 
soldiers snored, and the sentinel walked slowly oh his 
beat. Before the house where the prisoner was shut 
up an under officer watched, seated on a bench. He 
cursed and swore between his teeth. Fortunately, he 
was a confirmed drunkard, by name F^dor Michailo- 
vitch Chelmenko. As soon as he saw the two Jews 
in the distance he immediately thought that this 
might bring him a rouble, or at least a glass of 
brandy. 

" Good-evening, officer," said th^ Madr^ ; he saw 



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424 ^^^ 7^^' 

that this was only an underling, but gave him the full 
title, hoping thereby to tickle his vanity. 

" Pass thy way, Jew 1 " cried Chelmenko. 

" You must be weary, seated on this bench." 

" Certainly it is not very pleasant." 

" Then why do you remain here ? " 

"What is that to you?" 

" Excuse me, mere curiosity." 

Herszko mischievously showed the neck of the bot- 
tle as if it were about to leap out of his pocket ; Chel- 
menko saw it ; the very sight of it made his mouth 
water. 

" Let me taste it, miscreant," cried he. 

"You guess what it is? No? Well, it is the 
genuine Jamaica rum, worth a rouble and a half a 
bottle." 

" Let me see, quick ! " 

Madr6 handed him the bottle ; the officer put it to 
his lips and swallowed some of the rum with great en- 
joyment, then said : — 

"Now tell me what this means? " 

" Officer," answered the old man, " my companion 
is a Jew, as well as myself. We have heard, but 
perhaps we are misinformed, that your prisoner is 
called Bai'kowski; if so, he owes a large sum of 
money to my companion, who wishes to see him, and 
get his money, if possible." 

" Rebels, rascals, knaves, get out of here ! Don't 
you know that no one can see the prisoner? It is 
strictly forbidden." 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY. 



425 



Without hesitation Madr^ deposited on the bench 
the other bottle, and beside it three roubles. 

" No one. I cannot let any. one enter," murmured 
the Muscovite ; then after a moment of reflection he 
added : — 

" Follow me." 

" Not I, but my companion," said the old man. 

" Which you like. It is nothing to me." 

Chelmenko, already tipsy, conducted Jacob to a 
door which he opened with a key. He pushed him 
into the room and shut the door after him. 

The dark apartment was lighted by a single tallow 
candle, which hung in a lantern suspended from the 
ceiling. By this uncertain light Jacob saw stretched 
on a straw pallet in the corner a human form with 
one arm extended. From the breast of the man came 
deep and broken respiration like that of the dying. 

The condemned made an effort to carry his hand 
to his wounded leg, but he fell back heavily with a 
sharp cry. His head was a little raised, and by the 
ray of light which fell on his face, Jacob, with a great 
cry of sorrow, recognized Ivas. 

With disordered hair, foaming mouth, and wild 
eyes, the young man raved ; — 

" I am ready. March ! A ball in my leg ! No 
matter ! Down with the Muscovites ! Let us attack 
them ! " 

Then silence. 

" Ivas ! Ivas ! " cried Jacob. " Don't you know 
me?" The sick man turned bis eyes toward him. 



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426 THE JEW, 

"You? Who are you?" said he. "Pole or 
Russian ? A spy, perhaps. Yet that voice ! Aqua 
Sola ! Lucie Coloni ! Paris — the boulevards 1 Who 
are you?" 

"Jacob, your friend Jacob." 

" Ah ! Jacob the patriarch. Are you also a rebel ? 
Oh, my leg, my leg ! It is terrible ! " 

" Ivas, try to collect your thoughts," said Jacob. 
" Perhaps I can be useful to you." 

" Certainly ! More arms, more ammunition. Give 
them to me ! " 

"My brother, you are wounded; a prisoner con- 
demned." 

" Ah, yes ! I remember. We were concealed in 
the forest. Beaten ! Wounded ! How dark it is 
here ! Is it a hospital or a tomb ? Can they not at 
least bury me decently?." 

" Have you any wish to have carried out, anything 
to confide in me?" asked Jacob. 

"The Cossack told me that I would be hanged 
to-morrow. No matter ! I will return to the world 
in the form of a mad dog to murder them. Towian- 
ski teaches the transmigration of souls. He is right. 
If there is a God, where is he ? Is he afraid of the 
Russians?" 

" Ivas," repeated Jacob, " rouse yourself, and tell 
me if you have any last instructions to give me." 

" Liberty or death ! Have they all perished ? The 
scaffold awaits me. A cord of hemp. After that, 
nothing ! It will hurt my throat, like strong tobacco. 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY, 427 

Were you ever hanged, ray Jacob? No? Who 
knows; perhaps you were, under another form, ac- 
cording to Towianski. It will, I think, be the first 
time for me. I haven't the least idea of the thing, 
but I will be calm ; I am no coward." 

" Ivas, have you anj^ relations, any friends ? tell 
me. 

" None ! My mother died a long time ago. There 
is no cross over her grave. She was too poor ; I was 
a little boy. With pebbles I designed a cross. My 
father? I have never seen him. Other relations? 
They turned the cold shoulder to me because I was 
poor. My will? Behold it. To arms ! " 

" Nothing more?" 

"Nothing," replied Ivas, who had somewhat re- 
gained his mind. " Nothing. I have no one in the 
world. Ah, yes ! there is some one. You remember 
that old house that I showed you one day in Warsaw ? 
On the fourth floor lives Marion, sad and thoughtful. 
She is a laundress, but in her former life she was, I 
am sure, a queen. But she has forgotten it. I think 
she loves me. Tell her that I thought of her when 
dying. She made me two shirts for the journey. Her 
hands are large and red, but she has the heart of an 
angel. Or, rather, tell her nothing. That will be 
better. She will forget me, and console herself with 
a Russian officer. The poor girl ! " 

" Ivas," said Jacob, " my time here is short, we 
shall never meet again. Be calm, and think if there 
is anything you wish me to do." 



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428 THE JEW, 

" I ask you to avenge me. How hot I am ! Ah ! 
Ah ! An immense cemetery. They dance. The 
earth is freshly broken up at the sound of a violin. 
Some bears are dancing. The good God is looking 
at them from heaven through a little skylight. He 
strokes his mustache, and marks the measure." 

" Ivas," cried Jacob, " be calm, I beg of you." 

"Yes, I remember there were millions. We were 
a handful, and they attacked us, but we fought them. 
We did our duty ! All dead ! RequiescantI Is 
this death? Provided my soul does not enter into 
the body of a Muscovite, I do not care." 

Jacob tried, without success, to make Ivas realize 
his situation. As soon as the dying man became 
more conscious, the pain of his wound was so ex- 
treme that, to prevent himself from crying aloud, he 
buried his head in the straw ; then the delirium re- 
turned. It was a heartrending spectacle. 

" Do you wish a priest? " asked the Jew. 

" A priest ? There was one in our band. Brave 
frater ! A ball in his head, he is dead. A priest for 
me? What good? I have not confessed since my 
mother was no longer here to make me kneel and 
pray. A priest ! I want none. It would do no 
good, for God has gone on a visit to St. Petersburg, 
and no one knows when he will return. They do not 
confess the dead, and I am already dead, although I 
can still speak." 

Then he continued his raving. 

"Do you think they could have taken me alive? 



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LOVE OF COUNTRY, 



429 



Never ! Tell Marion that I had one of the shirts on, 
and the handkerchief around my neck, and also the 
medal of Notre Dame de Czestokowa, but the mother 
of God did not aid me ! They have killed me ! " 

Jacob tried to revive him with some cologne that 
he had in a little flask. He bathed his forehead and 
temples, and poured several drops in his mouth ; but 
it was useless. 

" You perfume me," said the poor boy. " I smell 
it. I cannot go to the ball, I cannot dance." 

He grew worse and his ravings continued. Snatches 
of songs, military commands, fragments of prayers and 
oaths, were all mingled together in an unintelligible 
manner. 

Jacob was kneeling, holding the burning head of 
his friend, when suddenly some one struck his shoul- 
der. It was the officer. 

" Enough of this ! Get up and come away 1 " said 
he. 

" Dear Ivas," cried Jacob, without paying attention 
to the man ; " one word more, dear Ivas, yout last 
word ! " 

The condemned raised himself, threw his arms 
around his friend's neck, and with an expression full 
of love and enthusiasm, cried : — 

" My country ! " 

Then he fell back weeping and laughing at the same 
time. The delirium had returned. The officer took 
Jacob by the shoulder and forced him out of the 
room. 



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430 THE JEW, 

Madr6 awaited him, and before he let them depart 
the officer extorted a present. 

Before retiring, Jacob knocked at JankiePs door. 

" Have you seen the poor man? " asked his host. 

"Yes." 

Then he detailed the interview with Ivas which ter- 
minated with the thrilling words, " My country ! " 

During this sad recital, in the silence of the night 
they could hear, on the square below, the blows of a 
hammer. It was the gibbet of the young patriot 
which they were finishing in the centre of the market- 
place. They passed the rest of the night in prayer. 

Ivas died before daybreak, and as they were un- 
able to execute him living, they hanged his dead 
body. The Russians having thus proclaimed their 
victory quitted the village, leaving their souvenir of 
terrorism. 



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THE GORDIAN KNOT, 431 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

THE GORDIAN KNOT. 

The same morning that Jacob left his house for fear 
of arrest, Henri Segel returned to breakfast. It was 
only at meal-times that he saw his wife, and then for 
but a few moments. He usually went away so early 
in the morning that Mathilde rarely saw him until 
evening. 

This day the poor woman, consoled by her ex- 
planation with Jacob, had more colour than usual, 
and appeared to have recovered her health. 

" I am really distressed," said Henri, seating him- 
self at table, " and you will share my anxiety when you 
hear that Mann's prophecy has been realized. They 
have tried to arrest Jacob." 

Mathilde grew very pale, and cried : — 

" Arrested ? Did you say arrested ? " 

"Why this emotion?" replied her husband 
smiling. 

" Answer me ! I beg of you ! " 

" He was warned in time, and has eluded the police, 
but they have searched his house." 

"I breathe," said Mathilde. "Is that all you 
know?" 

"Provided with a passport he will probably leave 



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432 THE JEW, 

for Austria or Prussia. He is a strange man, I never 
could understand his character." 

His wife smiled. Henri was annoyed at this mock- 
ing smile and said : — 

" It seems to amuse you that he should be an 
enigma to me." 

" Not \X. all. It is very natural. Your characters 
are so dissimilar, that you could not possibly under- 
stand each other." 

Henri replied, with some bitterness : — 

" You are very flattering. If this man, so opposite 
to Tne, has all your sympathy, what sentiment then 
have you for your humble servant? " 

" My sentiment for you," replied Mathilde simply, 
" you already know. It has satisfied you, and you 
have never tried to awaken any other." 

Henri looked at his watch, took his hat, and started 
to go; then he returned, and said in an offended 
tone : — 

" My dear, if you are tired of our conjugal tie you 
have only to say so. It is very distressing to me 
to be the cause of your regret and of your secret 
sorrows." 

Mathilde looked at him with an air of dignity. 

" You wish to say," asked she, " that you do not 
find the situation to your taste ? " 

** How can it be agreeable for me to contemplate 
without ceasing the statue of melancholy? Is this 
happiness? I think not. You must at least admit 
that I bear my fate heroically." 



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THE GORDIAM KNOT, 



433 



'* You reproach me ? " 

" Your sadness, your gloomy looks, say plainly that 
you are not happy.** . 

" You believe, then, that "the honour of being your 
wife ought to make me happy ? What can we do ? We 
cannot change anything, can we ? We must bear it, 
for we have taken before God a sacred vow, and must 
drink from the same cup, be it bitter or sweet." 

Henri grew excited, while his wife's face remained 
as calm as marble. He shrugged his shoulders, and 
hastily left the room. The carriage awaited him, and 
he was driven alone to Muse. She was all alone, but 
ready to receive company. She was elegantly dressed, 
perfumed, and in charming humour, and she greeted 
Segel warmly. 

" Have you heard the news?" asked he. 

"What news?" 

"Jacob has fled." 

" How could I, living in the same house, be ignorant 
of it ; and I trembled for him, from what I know of 
Colonel Sofronof and Count Bavorof." 

"He is now almost an outlaw," replied Henri. 
" More than once I have attempted, but unsuccessfully, 
to make him listen to reason. What eccentricity I 
He has often argued with the Russians and told all 
his thoughts, and the Russians did not like his sin- 
cerity; they required that men's convictions should 
bow to them, or else be concealed. I pity Jacob; 
but he is incorrigible and destitute of all prudence or 
policy." 



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434 ^^^ y^^' 

Several visitors arrived. There was as usual a 
mixed crowd, and on one side Mann harangued a 
little group of friends. 

" I avow to you, gentRmen," said he, " that I am 
delighted to be delivered from Jacob. He was a most 
compromising person, who belonged to neither party. 
He stood entirely alone, and such individuals are 
naturally victims of their narrow individuality; but 
after all I hope that nothing very bad will happen to 
him.'* 

" Provided that he is not drawn into the revolution," 
remarked some one. 

" I do not fear that," replied Mann. " Jacob is 
not a man of action. He knows how to think and 
talk only." 

Just then Mathilde's father came in ; he was much 
disturbed. 

" What has become of Jacob," asked he. 

" He has gone." 

" Where ? That is what I wish to know. He was 
the cause of a pretty scene at my house. His old 
Jewess mother came there in her ridiculous costume 
early this morning. She caused a general laugh in the 
house. That is not all. Unfortunately there arrived 
just then an aide of the Grand Duke Constantine. 
She was seated in the sa/on. Groans, tears, lamenta- 
tions ; judge of my situation ! I had great trouble 
to rid myself of her. What a foolish visit ! The good 
woman does not know where her son has gone but 
she is sure he has not crossed the frontier." 



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THE GORDIAN KNOT. 



435 



" We shall, no doubt, soon hear of his exploits," 
said Henri. " The laurels of Berko will prevent his 
sleeping. He dreamed of the picture of Kossack, 
and of giving the artist a new subject. That which is 
most deplorable in this adventure is that it prejudices 
the government against us all. It will be necessary 
for us to be very circumspect, and to furnish fresh 
proofs of our devotion and of our loyalty." 

During these remarks from Mann the fascinating 
Muse questioned Colonel Sofronof about Jacob. He 
feigned surprise, and vowed that he had not heard of 
Jacob's flight, with an assurance that proved that he 
knew more about it than any one else. He questioned 
right and left, expressed some chagrin, and promised 
to make some inquiries, and from his face even Mann 
guessed that the source of the denunciation was well 
known to him. 

" In these days," murmured Sofronof, " it is wise to 
be doubly prudent as to what we say. Jacob did not 
weigh his words. I think, however, that he is not 
threatened with anything terrible. Perhaps tempo- 
rary exile to the borders of Russia. He will not be 
executed." 

After the visitors had gone. Muse was going to the 
piano when her mother came to her. 

" Let us have a chat," said she. 

" Well, say on, dear mamma." 

" In all probability Jacob will never return." 

"No matter, he is crossed off my list." 

" Against whom, then, are your batteries directed ? " 



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436 THE yElV. 

" Against Henri first. Failing him, Sofronof." 

''I wish to talk of this Muscovite. Under his 
polished exterior I can discern the Tartar ; his fortune 
is problematic, and his character is amiable enough in 
society to be disagreeable in private life. I do not 
like him. He is a cold-blooded animal. Why do 
you not repulse him ? " 

** Alas ! It may be necessary to take him as a last 
resort." 

"Henri gives us very little hope. He will not 
divorce Mathilde, and she obstinately lives on. She 
is not consumptive; her physician has told me so. 
Her malady is only ennui and weakness. She may 
live for years." 

" Never fear. Henri becomes more amorous each 
day. He has no secrets from me, and he has de- 
cided to divorce her ; but, can you believe it, mamma, 
she does not wish it. As she loves, I thought the 
idea would please her ; but no. She has I know not 
what strange notions of the sanctity of marriage, the 
marital tie, and marriage vows, such ridiculous ideas ! 
The English governess, who often hears the conversa- 
tion of the lovers, has related to me these sentimental 
scenes. It is a Platonic love taken from some old 
romance, and not from the romances of to-day, — a 
mystical and unintelligible love. What fools they are 
to refuse their own happiness ! Mathilde has even 
told me of her theories. I adroitly led the conversa- 
tion to the subject. Poor woman ! I could scarcely 
keep from laughing in her face. Henri seeks his own 



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THE GORDIAN KNOT. 437 

desires and mine. He dreads only the explanation 
with his father-in-law." 

" If you have gone so far with Henri, I must 
hesitate no longer," said the mother. "We cannot 
wait in this suspense until the judgment day." 

'* These Russians, Bavorof and Sofronof, have played 
me a villanous trick in forcing Jacob's flight. He 
would have been of great use to us. Henri counted 
on his presence when he put the question of divorce 
before his father-in-law, for Samuel would be disposed 
to consent on condition that Mathilde would marry 
Jacob immediately after the rupture. No Jacob, no 
divorce. We counted on him, and now he is gone." 

'*What a misadventure," cried Madame Wtor- 
kowska, wringing her hands. 

" Bah ! We can arrange it. I will have Henri. 
The others? I am disgusted with them. 

Her mother said in a low voice : — 

" To marry Henri will be the same as to marry a 
widower, for a divorce is almost the same thing." 

"What has that to do with it? I wonder how 
many times most men have been widowers before 
marriage." 

" That is true. Then that is no objection ; but you 
must hasten things, my child. Be quick about it." 

" Ah 1 I understand that there is no money in the 
house. I will borrow some of Henri." 

Madame Wtorkowska thanked Heaven that had 
given her so practical a daughter. 



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438 THE yE]V. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

THE INSURGENTS. 

"H , July, 1863. 

"The Russians had scarcely vacated the village 
when the insurgents arrived. They marched through 
the streets, bearing a banner on which the national 
colours were surmounted by a white eagle painted on 
wood. They were a small band of men, armed for 
the most part with scythes and pike-staffs, while some 
had only heavy sticks with pointed iron ends. There 
were no uniforms. Each one was equipped and clad 
as circumstances had permitted at the time of his 
enrolment. Their forms were strong, and their 
faces expressed energy already clouded by dark de- 
spair. All knew that they were marching to certain 
death, and knew not what torture or misery awaited 
them. 

" The body of Ivas had been cut down after the 
execution, but the gibbet still presented its gloomy 
front to the market-place. The chief of the insurgents 
saluted it, and inclined his head, and all his troop fol- 
lowed his example. It was a mute and solemn 
homage rendered to a martyr. 

** I could not help feeling for these men a sentiment 



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THE INSURGENTS, 



439 



in which was mingled compassion, sympathy, and 
respect. 

" The young commander recognized me, for he had 
seen me with Ivas at Warsaw. He was much affected 
to hear from me that the condemned man had been 
our mutual friend. ' One of our bravest,* murmured 
he ; * but our country demands such sacrifices. Oh, 
if only we were better armed ! * 

" Our conversation was not of long duration. The 
detachment had entered the village only to recruit, 
and succeeded in gaining a dozen volunteers. They 
also found some guns and swords, dating from 1831, 
covered with rust. 

"This heroism in poverty transported me back 
several centuries to the times when the Israelites 
rose against Roman oppression. Here was the same 
self-sacrificing spirit, the same love of liberty. My 
eyes filled with tears, and thoughts came into my 
head that I had not before entertained. 

" Let us go with them, thought I. Let us die in 
the ranks of these heroes. It is glorious to shed one's 
blood for his brothers. 

"Yesterday I would have hesitated. To-day I 
felt around me such an empty void that the fiiture 
appeared aimless, and the thought of action inspired 
me. I, who had refused money for the revolution, I 
would offer my life. This seems strange, does it not? 
But do not condemn me without reflection. It is 
necessary to seal the act of alliance, contracted be- 
tween the Israelites and Poles. My example will 
prove that this alliance is accomplished. 



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440 THE JEW. 

" This letter, friend of my youth, is like my last 
testament. 

"I recommend to you my mother. Let my 
brother Israelites know why I have taken this step. 
I owe to the mission that we have received from God 
to return again to the past of an elect people. This 
mission is, to be more noble, more devout, and more 
loving than other men. 

" Farewell ! You already know all I wish to say, 
for you have always been the confidante of my inmost 
thoughts. It is you who have inspired me with the 
resolution I have taken. If you had left me the 
shadow of a hope, I would, perhaps, have valued my 
life more ; but you said one evening that a woman 
ought to be the wife of one man only, and as at the 
same time my brother Israelites have refused to listen 
to my voice, I am convinced that I am useless here 
below. 

" Do not regret me. God will give me grace to 
meet death joyfully. 

" To-morrow we leave here. I am well equipped. 
I have bought a horse and arms ; I shall serve as a 
private soldier, for there are already too many 
leaders. 

" God is great ; the soul is immortal, and pure spirits 
may, perhaps, meet again in another world." 

The reader has already divined that this was a 
letter addressed by Jacob to Mathilde. We have 
suppressed the commencement, which related to events 
spoken of in the preceding pages. 



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THE INSURGENTS. 441 

Henri Segel received it in his mail, and hastened to 
take it to his wife. 

"What can it be? " asked he. 

" A letter from Jacob," she replied, without hesi- 
tation, recognizing his writing. 

She read it hastily. 

" What has become of- him," asked Henri again. 

" He has joined the insurrection." 

"Ah, it wanted only that ! He has done us a great 
injury. The government will imagine that we are all 
more or less implicated in his folly. But is the thing 
certain?" 

"There is no doubt whatever," and Mathilde read 
with a trembling voice a passage from the letter. 
The husband seeing her so agitated left her, and 
himself became thoughtful and^ gloomy. 

The news spread from mouth to mouth over the 
city. Some refused to believe it, while others re- 
joiced at it. Jacob had no warm friends, and few 
were sorry for him. 

The same evening Sofronof went in triumph to 
Muse. 

" Well ! He has joined the insurgents, this 
man that you accused me of suspecting without 
motive ! " 

"You jest. Was he not the enemy of the revo- 
lution?" 

"Yet he has enlisted under their banner. The 
Poles are all the same. The sight of their eaglet 
always has an irresistible attraction for them." 



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442 THE JEW. 

" It is nothing to me/* replied Muse ; " but I will 
not believe it without more ample information." 

Just then Henri Segel arrived and confirmed the 
news. He had a dejected air, and was careful not 
to speak of the letter the colonel had had in his hand 
that morning. He well knew that all suspicious letters 
were read before the distribution of the post. 

Mathilde's father also was much chagrined on hear- 
ing the news. Without deep feeling, he had, never- 
theless, a certain affection for his cousin. Perhaps, 
also, he counted on him for restoring to health his 
daughter, whom he saw daily fade before his .eyes. 
Without saying anything, he hastened to Mathilde at 
the hour when he was sure to find her alone. The 
servant said to him that she was ill, and had given 
orders to admit no one; but the father, using his 
authority, went straight to her bedroom. He found 
her with disordered hair, eyes red with weeping, and 
cheeks burning with fever. Mathilde was no longer 
the marble statue, cold, resigned, impassable, inert. 

At the sight of an unexpected visitor she blushed 
with the timidity of a child. But her education had 
inculcated a respect, almost a veneration, for her 
father, who had repelled all familiarity, all confidence ; 
she tried, with a forced smile, to conceal the violence 
of her grief. 

" I pity Jacob," said the father abruptly. " He 
courts his ruin ; 1 wish to save him." 

"But how can you?" asked the daughter. 

Samuel did not reply immediately. He took several 



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THE INSURGENTS. 



443 



Steps about the. room. It cost him something to be, 
for the first time in his life, frank with his child. 
Suddenly he stopped before her, and, looking at her 
fixedly, said : — 

" Your secret is known to me. Common sense has 
until now commanded me to close my eyes. But the 
time has come to treat the wound by severe cauteriza- 
tion. Now or never. You love Jacob, and he loves 
you. This love has not died out. I believed that 
your childish affection would disappear, but, contrary 
to my expectations, it has remained permanent, and 
surpasses all my ideas of love. You are unhappy with 
Henri ; he was not made for you ; his spirit is earthly, 
and yours is exalted in a high degree." 

" Nevertheless," said Mathilde, " I have nothing to 
say against Henri." 

" You mean that he observes the proprieties ; and 
yet he has let himself be fascinated by Muse, who 
deceives and despoils him. Do you wish to save 
Jacob ? You can do it ; you alone. I will arrange a 
divorce with Henri. He is anxious for it. Give your 
consent, and the thing is done ; then I will marry you 
to Jacob, who will make you happy. You can live in 
Italy, and in a few years, when the country is again 
peaceful, you can return to Poland. I will obtain 
Jacob's amnesty ; I have influence enough for 
that." 

Mathilde kissed her father's hand, and said : — 

" Dear father, I have never seen you as you are to- 
day, so sympathetic toward your child, so thoughtful 



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444 THE JEW, 

for Jacob. Do not be angry, do not tell me that I am 
foolish, but it is impossible." 

''Why? Why?" 

Mathilde replied with timidity : — 

" I love him too well to throw myself in his arms. 
I, a poor faded creature, broken and soiled by another. 
Do you understand me ? " 

" No ! Truly ! This is refinement which is beyond 
my comprehension, a morbid sentimentality. You 
say you love him ? The devil ! What more do you 
want?" 

Mathilde, sighing, replied : — 
. " I have dreamed of a different kind of happiness." 

"Give up these reveries, and content yourself with 
the reality. Do you accept my proposition? Yes 
or no?" 

"Read his letter," said she, drawing near to the 
lamp. " Here it is ; I will reply afterward." 

Samuel took the letter, and commenced to read it 
attentively. Mathilde retired to the next room, which 
was not lighted. She sank into meditation. She was 
torn by two conflicting feelings : her unworthiness of 
becoming Jacob's wife, and the desire to belong to the 
man she loved. In her perplexity she seemed to hear 
an inner voice which said, " Let your father decide." 
At the same time she accused herself of weakness, and 
her heart beat violently. 

" The letter," said her father, " confirms me in my 
opinion. You alone can save him. A strange dreamer 
is your Jacob ; but, after all, he possesses that which 



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THE INSURGENTS. 



445 



most of us lati, — finn principles and profound con- 
victions. One esteems him in spite of one*s self." 

Not caring to appear in the full light, the young 
woman murmured in an agitated voice : — 

" I am proud of you, my father. Dispose of your 
child as you please." Then she threw herself at his 
knees, and Samuel felt awaken in his heart feelings 
which he had not believed himself capable of in- 
dulging. 

Lifting her up tenderly, he said, smiling : — 

" I will attend to the affair. Sit down and write to 
Jacob that you are free. He has only to equip fifty 
or a hundred soldiers to replace him, and excuse his 
retirement." 

He spoke with a rapidity and warmth that surprised 
himself, and he experienced a sensation of happiness 
altogether novel to him. 

When his daughter had finished the letter, he kissed 
her tenderly, and whispered in her ear : — 

" Not a word of this to Henri. I will manage 
everything, and spare you needless annoyance." 

Soon after Samuel appeared at the salon of the 
Wtorkowskas. The siren was at the piano, sur- 
rounded by her Muscovite gallants, who, listening, 
forgot their administrative cares. Under cover of a 
general movement, he quietly drew near Madame 
Wtorkowska. 

"I have something to say to you, madame," 
whispered he. " It is about an important matter that 
concerns you." 



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446 THE JEW, 

"Very good!" replied she, rising and taking his 
arm. *' Come to my room." 

When they were alone, Samuel asked : — 

" No one can hear usj I hope ? I wish to speak to 
you with entire frankness." 

" Do as you would in your own house,*' replied 
she. 

" To play a part is disagreeable to me, and so to 
open the matter I will tell you, without reserve, that 
I know that you are ruined, dear madame." 

" Softly, softly ! " 

" Softly, softly ! I am aware that your only fortune 
•is your debts. Your only hope is your daughter. To 
find a rich husband is not so easy. I am sure that 
these are your opinions." 

" We have several persons in view, monsieur." 

"Who are they?" 

" Count Bavorof." 

" Bah ! A Russian who has no fortune but his 
position. Beside, he is married. His wife lives in 
Paris, and has no wish to be free, and in Russia 
divorce can be obtained only by special influence. I 
do not think you would be willing to give Muse to the 
count." 

" What nonsense you are talking." 

"Who next?" 

" Colonel Sofronof is madly in love." 

" In the Russian fashion. Sofronof lives by his 
appointments and thefts. He possesses some land, 
mortgaged to its full value. I^t him pass. Next? " 



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THE INSURGENTS, 447 

" The counsellor of state, Pikulinski." 

"What! that old fool?" 

" For a husband it does not matter." 

" That is trie. In marriage, foolishness is at times 
a good quality ; but his little property is pledged to 
the Credit Foncier. Your counsellor is a nobody. His 
emoluments are too slender. Another? " 

Madame Wtorkowska sighed deeply. She was at 
the end of her list, for it was hardly worth while to 
mention, after the counsellor, two petty officials who 
possessed only their titles and their brilliant uniforms. 
Naturally she dared not suggest Henri Segel to his 
father-in-law. 

" Why, madame," replied Samuel, " are you lacking 
in sincerity, when I come to chat with you in the 
most confidential manner?" 

" And whence comes, monsieur, this suddenly 
friendly guardianship for my daughter and myself? " 

" Your question is logical. It may be possible that 
I am myself interested in the affair, and that may be 
the cause of my solicitude to serve you. Confess, then, 
with an open heart. Do not hesitate to mention the 
name of my son-in-law, whom you have so en- 
tangled." 

" What do you mean ? I cannot shut my door on 
Monsieur Segel." 

"I know your plans, dear lady," replied Samuel 
laughing. " Let us show our cards and be friends. 
You have speculated — own it — on Mathilde's phthisis. 
You have even wished that her physician would con- 



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448 THE yEW, 

firm your hopes. Bitter deception ! And during this 
time you have endeavoured to ensnare Henri, and you 
have made an easy conquest* Now, hsten to me, 
madame. My daughter cannot be happy with him. 
I cede him to you. Take him. Try and persuade 
him to demand a divorce ; the initiative will never 
come from Mathilde. You will have me for an 
accomplice. I give him up freely. Do what you wish, 
provided you rid me of him. Do you now understand 
the cause of my solicitude for you ? " 

Madame Wtorkowska was stupefied. She stood 
still a moment. Then her joy overcame her. She 
threw her arms around SamuePs neck, and kissed him 
several times ; but, as he did not enjoy the caresses of 
elderly matrons, he freed himself from her embraces, 
and said : — 

" Twenty or twenty-five years ago this exuberance 
of affection on your part would have charmed me. 
To-day it is too late. I am too old. What do you 
think of my proposition? " 

" Dear benefactor," replied she, wiping the perspi- 
ration from her face with her handkerchief, " I cannot 
reply without consulting Emusia. In a few moments 
my rooms will be empty; she will see you herself. 
Wait here." 

" With pleasure, madame ; but I will light a cigar if 
you will permit it." 

"Ten if you wish," replied the mother, closing the 
door on Samuel. 

There were still some visitors in the salon. She 



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THE INSURGENTS. 449 

made a secret sign to her daughter, and a few 
moments afterward Muse complained of a headache. 
Her admirers regretfully took their hats and left 
the house. The particulars of the interview were 
soon learned, and her delight was equal to that of 
her mother. 

Nevertheless, before going to meet Samuel, she as- 
sumed a calm and dignified mien. 

" Your mother has no doubt spoken of my proposi- 
tion. Let us discuss, then, without restraint," said 
Mathilde's father. 

" But, monsieur, the subject is so delicate, so em- 
barrassing, so painful." 

" Painful, mademoiselle, in what way ? Not for you ; 
nor for me, I think. Delicate. Yes ! Let us treat 
it with delicacy." 

" I like Mathilde so much," said Muse. 

" Then you will give her a real proof of your friend- 
ship by delivering her of a husband who does not suit 
her, who will suit you, and who loves you." 

Muse tried to appear very much embarrassed. 

" Dear mademoiselle," said Samuel, " we can dis- 
pense with acting ; you can gain nothing by it. I ask 
of you entire frankness. If you wish to succeed, you 
must act. Make Henri believe that Sofronof is a 
dangerous rival. I T^iftU tell everywhere that the 
colonel wishes to marry you at any price. Henri 
will be in despair ; then push him to the end of the 
wall ; exact a divorce, and advise him to take Mann 
for an intermediary between him and me." 



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450 THE JEW, 

"That is admirably planned," cried Madame 
Wtorkowska. 

" Yes, the plan is excellent," added Muse, putting 
aside all embarrassment. " I am sure I shall play my 
part to the satisfaction of its author." 

" Well, I will be obliged to you if you do not make 
the play long. I am anxious for the end." 

" I will do my best." 

" I do not doubt that you will accomplish wonders," 
said Samuel, gallantly kissing her hand. " And now, 
mademoiselle, do not fail to tell me if I can be in any 
way useful to you at any time." 

He then took his leave. Madame Wtorkowska 
conducted him to the antechamber, and then re- 
turned to throw herself in her daughter's arms. She 
laughed and wept by turns for very joy. Muse was 
more quiet, but no less delighted, and she passed part 
of the night making plans for the morrow. 

The n«ws soon spread through their circle of 
acquaintances that Mademoiselle Wtorkowska was 
soon to marry Colonel Sofronof. At first Henri 
shrugged his shoulders ; but he heard it from so many 
different sources, with details added by this one and 
that one, that he grew uneasy, and, wishing to hear 
the rumour denied, hastened to Muse. 

She received him coldly, * and was so reticent on 
the subject that it seemed as if she were on her guard, 
and afraid of committing some indiscretion. 

Segel thought that there must be some truth in the 
rumour. He became furiously angry, and the in- 



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THE INSURGENTS, 



451 



genious coquette soon brought about a quarrel. He 
took his haty and she did not detain him ; but at the 
door he paused, then returned, threw his hat on the 
floor, and seated himself again, filled with wrath. 

A violent scene ensued. Her mother appeared as 
the deus ex machina. She reproached Henri with 
compromising her daughter, and called him selfish 
and heartless. The comedy waxed pathetic. Finally, 
Henri had to choose between a dismissal or a divorce. 
Vanquished and subdued, he promised to take at once 
the steps required by them. 

Muse then feigned to shed tears, and he tried to 
console her. Her mother disappeared, leaving the 
lovers alone. Segel obtained some kisses, and advice 
to take Monsieur Mann as an intermediary, and he 
promised to see Mann at once. Mann, well instructed, 
at first resisted, moralized, and deplored the situation, 
but ended by consenting. 

And yet, when Henri returned home, he experi- 
enced a strange feeUng of repentance for his haste. 
Mathilde presented herself to his mind as calm, sweet, 
and pure ; Muse, on the contrary, under a menacing 
aspect. The one he did not love, but esteemed ; the 
other he loved, but did not esteem. He loved her, if a 
passion which was entirely sensual merits that name. 

He saw himself in the future bound to a new com- 
panion, full of coquetry and schemes, and endowed 
with an unendurable mother-in-law. He saw the 
luxury with which he would have to surround them, 
and the slavery to which he would be doomed. He 



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452 THE JEW, 

shivered with dread at the very idea. Unhappily for 
him, it was now too late to draw back. 

Mathilde looked for an outburst the next morning 
at breakfast ; but none came. Henri was unusually 
reserved, almost timid ; he looked at his watch often, 
and under pretext of important business soon left the 
house. 

Mann came to dinner, and informed Segel of the 
happy result of his negotiations. At table the couple, 
already morally divorced, seemed ill at ease. Ma- 
thilde taciturn, Henri almost mute, let Mann and two 
other guests do the talking. At dessert came Samuel, 
who amused the company for some time with his witty 
sayings. On leaving the table he took his daughter 
by the hand to lead her to the garden. He insisted 
on her putting on her hat, saying the sun was yet 
warm ; then he conducted her to the street, where a 
carriage awaited them. 

" My dear child," said the father, " we will take a 
short ride. It will do you good, for the air is fresh 
and agreeable this evening." A half-hour after, the 
carriage stopped at the door of her father's house. 

"Here," said he, embracing Mathilde, "is your 
home. You will not return to SegeVs. I have had 
your old room prepared for you." 

The gordian knot was thus severed with the greatest 
simplicity. The young woman saw no more of her 
former husband. Aided by the English governess, 
she occupied herself with household cares. With what 
secret satisfaction she renewed her former life ! Her 



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THE INSURGENTS, 453 

springtime revived. But she was at times a prey to 
deep anxiety, for Jacob had not written since his letter 
of farewell, and all traces of him were lost. 

The revolution, contrary to all expectations, took on 
larger proportions daily. 

Owing to the assumed names which the chiefs and 
soldiers of the insurrection bore, all steps to ascertain 
Jacob's whereabouts proved fruitless. 

Mathilde was almost in despair, yet she seemed to 
hear a voice say to her : — 

" God will give him back to you." 

From that time she believed in God. 

Each day she questioned her father, who, without 
giving her great hopes, encouraged her not to despair. 
Weeks and months passed. At last, early one morning, 
he entered her chamber, and, in spite of his en- 
deavours to conceal his feelings, appeared much 
agitated. 

"Prepare to leave to-day," said he. "Jacob is at 
Cracow, wounded, but not dangerously." 

Mathilde gave a great cry, and fainted, but soon 
came to herself, and on the morrow was with her 
father at the bedside 0/ her beloved. 



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454 ^^^ 7^^- 



EPILOGUE. 

In the year eighteen hundred and sixty-five a 
numerous company were reunited at the Albergo 
della Grotta, where we will finish, as we have begun, 
our veracious history. 

To-day the company assumed a more cheerful 
aspect than at the first meeting. It was composed 
only of persons whose appearance denoted wealth or 
competence. Here were no unfortunates who fainted 
from want, like poor Ivas, and on whose faces could 
be seen traces of misery and care. 

In the privileged corner of the grotto, near the 
murmuring fountain, a sumptuous table was set for 
the most distinguished travellers. Instinctively Firpo, 
the host, gave their titles in advance to Monsieur le 
Comte and Madame la Comtesse. The choicest 
wines, the freshest fruits, and a tablecloth whose snowy 
whiteness was only excelled by the brilliancy of the 
polished silver knives, forks, and spoons, were for 
them. The other tables were already occupied by 
the guests, here singly, there in groups. All belonged 
to the class usually called aristocratic, who lead an 
easy and luxurious life. 

The day was warm ; the blue Italian sky shone in 
all its splendour. The sea sang its immortal sym- 
phony. The trees rustled harmoniously, the laurels 



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EPILOGUE. 



455 



exhaled their perfumes, the golden oranges contrasted 
with the dark green leaves, and the fresh sea-breeze 
sweetly refreshed the limpid air. 

Alone at a table a man was seated. He was the 
same who, some years before, travelled this way in 
company with the sprightly dancer, Gigante. But he 
was no longer in joyous humour. He was Henri 
Segel ; but how changed ! 

Equally isolated and bored we find our Tsigane, 
Stamlo Gako, whom the reader has not forgotten. 
He is more yellow and blacker than ever, and he has 
grown stout, heavy, and somnolent. 

There is another solitary traveller. It is Gromof, 
who is not now accompanied by the charming Lucie 
Coloni. He carries his head high, as if to brave 
destiny. But his irritation betrays itself in every 
movement. He amuses himself by making little balls 
of bread crumbs, and throws out of the window the 
fruit that he has scarcely tasted. 

These three do not converse. The Russian and 
the g5^sy have met before, as we have seen, but 
they do not care to renew the acquaintance. As for 
Segel, he has never spoken with either Gromof or 
Gako. 

A sumptuous equipage entered the court of the inn. 
The host and the servants hastened to meet it. A 
lady filled the whole interior of the vehicle with her 
white robe, and one scarcely perceived in one comer 
hidden under the immense crinoline, which was then 
so fashionable, a little, thin, withered-looking man. 



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456 THE JEW, 

They were no doubt husband and wife. She 
was in all the splendour of her youth, charming, 
elegant, confident of her beauty, proud and victorious. 
He, as one soon perceived, was the most humble 
servant of her who bore his name and disposed of his 
fortune. 

He jumped out of the carriage, and with all the 
manner and gallantry of a young man, despite his 
fifty and odd years, presented his hand to his queen 
to aid her to descend. She raised herself with 
indifference, and gathered together the train of her 
rustling robe. 

At sight of this beauty, whom he immediately 
recognized through the window near which he dined, 
Henri rose as if he wished to avoid a disagreeable 
meeting, but a retreat was impossible. To go out he 
must necessarily pass them. He made an ironical 
grimace and reseated himself. 

The reader has recognized Muse, now actually 
Baroness Von Kreig, the wife of a wealthy speculator, 
whose nationality was a mystery to all, for he care- 
fully concealed his Jewish origin. He did not give 
himself out as a Pole, although living in Poland, but 
passed sometimes for a Russian, oftener for a Ger- 
man. Where and how did he steal the title of 
baron? No one knew. It might have been, said 
some, the recompense of a great financial operation. 
He wore on his travelling coat several ribbons and 
decorations. 

The reader doubtless expected to hear of the mar- 



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EPILOGUE, 



457 



riage of Muse and Henri, who were supposed to be 
so much attached to each other ; but in consequence 
of the fickleness and calculation of the lady, the mar- 
riage had not come to pass. Henri, for her sake, 
had divorced his wife, had proposed, been accepted, 
and passed for her future husband everywhere. Muse 
introduced him to all her friends, and he was proud 
of his betrothed. It was then that the Baron Von 
Kreig met the enchantress on the street. He had 
known the mother of old, but avoided her because 
she had the bad habit of borrowing money which she 
always forgot to return. The baron had just lost his 
second wife, and he required for his third, above all, 
good health. He was struck with the blooming 
beauty of Muse, and fell in love at first sight. The 
next day he went to pay her a visit. Muse immedi- 
ately coolly sat down, when she was alone, and com- 
pared him with Henri. Von Kreig was ten times 
richer, a baron, and could introduce her into the 
most brilliant circles of society. He was well educated, 
and, although old and dried up, was an excellent match. 
Muse put forth all her powers of fascination, and soon 
succeeded in bringing the baron to her feet. The 
marriage with Henri was delayed under pretext that 
the lace had not arrived from Paris. In the mean- 
while the baron gained over the mother by consenting 
without demur to the most advantageous settlements 
for the daughter, imposed by Madame Wtorkow- 
ska. The engagement was accomplished quietly. 
Then there remained the rather unpleasant task of 



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458 THE JEW. 

breaking with Henri, who believed himself master of 
the situation, and laughed at the attentions of the 
baron. 

It puzzled even the genius of these two women to 
find a plausible or decent excuse for the rupture. In 
the intervals of his life, as a betrothed between the acts, 
as it were, Segel sought distraction at the theatre. He 
was tied to the gauzy apron-strings of a sylph, or, in 
plain words, a danseuse. This connection had lasted 
for more than two years, and the evenings away from 
Muse were passed with the beautiful danseuse. He 
made no secret of it, and his carriage was often seen 
at the door of the ballet-girl's dwelling. It was with 
this, as a pretext, that Madame Wtorkowska sought to 
break the engagement. In vain Segel asked for par- 
don. He was dismissed, and received back the ring 
he had given Muse. For this engagement ring he 
had paid ten thousand francs, in Paris. It was a 
superb solitaire surrounded with smaller diamonds, 
each half a carat in weight. It was shown, as if by 
accident, to the baron ; he felt the sacrifice, and with 
noble emulation Von Kreig replaced it by another 
which cost thirty thousand francs. 

Segel stormed, but the baron solemnly conducted 
Muse to the altar. The newly married couple started 
on a wedding trip, which was to be the grand tour of 
Europe, including all the large cities, baths, and fash- 
ionable resorts. 

The blackest ingratitude awaited Madame Wtor- 
kowska. Her son-in-law paid her debts, and settled 



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EPILOGUE, 



459 



on her a beggarly pension ; then took his leave cour- 
teously, and forbade more than rare communications 
with her daughter. The poor woman, who had calcu- 
lated on managing everything, travelling with them, 
and spending money lavishly, prayed, begged, and 
threatened. The baron was inexorable, and replied 
by silence only. The daughter sacrificed her mother 
with Roman stoicism, playing the part of a humble 
and obedient wife. 

Madame was at first disheartened and fell ill ; then, 
as one must live, she rented an apartment in the fau- 
bourg, and, to augment her income, set up an ecarte, 
taking care always to have around her many pleasing 
young women to add to the attractions of the 
place. The house soon became well known, although 
no one cared to avow openly that they visited it. 
Sofronof, Bavorof, and others remained faithful to the 
unfortunate. 

As may be supposed, this meeting between Muse 
and Henri at the inn was equally distasteful to both. 
The moment the baroness entered the grotto her eyes 
fell on her old lover. Notwithstanding her usual 
presence of mind, she was confused. More master of 
the situation, Segel saluted her respectfully, and 
smiled bitterly. • 

At the same time there arrived another couple. 
They were quietly dressed, yet with a certain distinc- 
tion which is not always, as some think, an exclusive 
possession of birth. They were the distinguished 
guests expected by the host, Jacob and Mathilde. 



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460 THE JEW. 

They came in, thinking themselves unknown. The 
husband was relating his first visit to this fairy grotto ; 
the wife replied laughing. The sound of her voice 
came to Henri's ears ; he believed it at first a hallu- 
cination ; he listened attentively, and could not doubt 
the reality of his first impression. 

There seemed to him a strange fatality in this 
simultaneous meeting of the two persons, one of 
whom recalled his lost peace, the other his vanished 
hopes. He could not see Mathilde, and the sound of 
her weU-known voice seemed to descend from the 
clouds. Curious to know if it were she, he went to the 
end of the grotto, where, in an isolated comer, Jacob 
dined with her. She seemed rejuvenated, and her face 
shone with happiness. Her husband kissed her 
hands, believing himself unobserved. 

Segel experienced a feeling of wrath ; his lips curled 
under a sardonic smile. 

" All happy ! " said he. " And I " — 

Then he returned to his place. The silvery voice 
of Madame Jacob attracted the attention of the 
baroness also, and she, likewise, drew near under pre- 
text of examining the grotto. She gave a cry of sur- 
prise. The couple turned and recognized Muse, who 
tenderly greeted the old friend whom she had so often 
wished dead. 

"Ah, my dear Mathilde," cried she, " what a happy 
and unexpected meeting 1 " 

Truly it was a romantic encounter, rarely met with 
in real life. Chance, however, often plays us tricks 
altogether unforeseen. 



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BPILOGUE. 461 

Mathilde did not share the apparent joy of Muse, 
for whom she had no great affection. But their ac- 
quaintance dated back to the time when they both 
wore short dresses, and the remembrances of child- 
hood are always pleasant. 

The proprieties required observance, and Jacob had 
his table carried to the grand salotiy where their friends 
were dining ; he certainly did not expect to see Henri 
Segel, and Mathilde saw him first. She drew back, 
for all her involuntary unhappy experience with Henri 
appeared before her. Her husband, although much 
annoyed, encouraged her to shake off her distress. 

Segel understood that his presence was disagree- 
able to all ; therefore it pleased him to impose it. It 
delighted him to see all countenances grow pale and 
abstracted at sight of him. He affected a cynical 
gayety, drank a glass of wine, lighted a cigar, then 
turned toward Jacob and Mathilde. 

With well-simulated indifference Muse watched the 
meeting. Her husband, playing the young man, had 
risen quickly and received his wife's friends with 
much courtesy. He was very polite to Jacob, and 
entirely ignored the revolutionary r61e that he had 
played. 

Von Kreig detested Henri, but he deemed it proper 
for a baron to disguise his sentiments, and he was very 
courteous to his vanquished rival. The scene was 
highly dramatic. There was no outward appearance 
of excitement, however, for men of the world do not 
show their feelings in public. 



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46a THE JEW. 

Gromofy roused from his meditations, looked around 
and perceived Jacob. 

"How strange," said he, "to meet you again at 
Sestri." 

" Yes," replied the latter, " a real accident. I am 
the same as ever, you see, but not so gay as then." 

The baron asked in a low voice : — 

" Who is this person? " 

" A Russian," replied Jacob. 

Von Kreig, taking Gromof for a prominent official 
of the imperial court, was going to ask for an intro- 
duction, when Jacob whispered in his ear : — 

"An outlaw." 

The baron drew back and, as he was a strict con- 
servative, thought : — 

" What kind of company have we fallen in with, 
anyway? " Then he said to Jacob : — 

" Madame and yourself are travelling for pleasure, 
are you not?" 

" We are obliged to leave Poland," replied Jacob. 
" I joined the revolutionists, was wounded and was 
taken to Austria, whence orders came for me to leave 
the country. My wife and I seek a retreat where we 
may dwell peacefully. It is not so easy to find. No- 
where in Europe, except in Switzerland or England, 
is there much security for exiles. In Saxony they are 
given leave to remain only temporarily. In Bavaria 
they are not given leave to remain at aU. In France 
an arbitrary expulsion, authorized by the law, always 
like the sword of Damocles, is suspended over their 
heads ; and in Belgium they are also unwelcome," 



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EPILOGUE, 



463 



" But I think, monsieur, that you can better your 
position. The Russian government is magnanimous ; 
it has proclaimed a general amnesty." 

" Yes, I could have obtained that amnesty by solic- 
itation. Unfortunately the pardon granted to-day 
does not always do for to-morrow. In Russia the 
despotism of caprice is the only law." 

Von Kreig frowned. 

"The state of siege exists now," said he, " but will 
not last always." 

"To ask permission to return is to avow a fault," 
said Jacob, " and to return to Poland now would be 
to act against my conscience." 

The baron knew not how to reply. Gromof re- 
lieved him of this embarrassment by joining in the 
conversation. 

" I told you," said he to Jacob, " what would be 
the result of your insurrection." 

" Yes, but it could not be avoided. It was written 
that Poland should be bathed in blood. It was a 
trial or a chastisement of Providence ; it is not for me 
to say which." 

" You still believe in Providence ? AVhat an incor- 
rigible child ! All Europe suffers from your folly. 
You have revealed to the world the weakness of 
England, the nullity of the imperial government of 
Napoleon III., and the abasement of the moral level 
of all society. Formerly other countries at least sym- 
pathized with nations that were so oppressed, and 
looked with disfavour upon the cruel tyrants who 



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464 2^^^ y^^' 

caused such suffering. Under Louis Philippe France 
did nothing for Poland, but the two chambers at least 
protested against her being utterly crushed. To-day 
policy reigns, and they bow before superior force. For- 
merly many hearts beat at the words " liberty" and " fra- 
ternity." To-day these words provoke only a smile. 
Lord Byron, when he risked his life for the indepen- 
dence of Greece, passed for a Don Quixote. And 
the country of these heroes has legislators who pretend 
that humanity is not a family, that there is no union 
among the people. Every one for himself 1 Every one 
for himself ! Behold a summary of the actual moral 
situation ! Neither you nor I will ever see the sun of 
Uberty ! " 

Von Kreig, terrified, whispered in his wife's 
ear: — 

" This Russian is a red revolutionist." 

Henri interposed. He changed the subject of the 
conversation, and from Poland passed to the Jews. 
Segel maintained that the Israelites ought to profit by 
the situation of things, without caring what became 
of Poland. Jacob held to his opinion that it was 
better to be with the oppressed against the oppressors. 
Segel, laughing heartily, replied : — 

" This is romantic, poetic, heroic, magnificent ; but 
it is not practical." 

"Whatever you may think," replied Jacob, "it is 
our duty to convince the Christians that our morals 
are not inferior to theirs, that love of one's neighbour 
is taught in our books as in their Gospels, and that 



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EPILOGUE, 465 

between the Mosaic law and the Christian law there is 
accord and not contradiction." 

" Words, empty words," said Henri, " nothing but 
words ! Material interest should be the motive of 
nations as well as individuals. Liberty, equality, fra- 
ternity are a triple aberration of mind ! Behold their 
result : fields strewn with dead men and bones ! " 

" Yes ; but the dead will rise, the bones will be re- 
animated as in the vision of Ezekiel." 

Jacob commenced to recite the passage, then, re- 
marking that no one listened to him, turned gayly to 
his wife and asked : — 

" Is not Italy beautiful ? " 

" It never seemed so lovely before," replied 
Mathilde tenderly. 

" And what do yo|j think of it, madame ? " asked 
he of the baroness. 

" Bah ! " replied she. " I suppose one must con- 
form to the fashion and admire Italy. It is a pictur- 
esque country; but, all things considered, this land 
filled with tombs and ruins has nothing agreeable for 
me. Prosaic as it is, I prefer Paris." 

" Now, I do not like Paris," said Jacob. 

" Is it permitted not to like Paris ? " cried Von Kreig. 
" You are joking, monsieur." 

" Not at all. The same places do not suit all 
characters or all dispositions. To dreamy and poetic 
temperaments I recommend Italy ; Germany, to those 
who are positive and prosaic ; England, to men of 
enterprise and activity ; and Paris, to high livers, and 



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466 THE JEW. 

to ladies who love the excitements and gayeties of 
society." 

"And Poland?" asked Henri. 

"To those who thirst for martyrdom," replied Ja- 
cob sadly* 

" But now-a-days every one laughs at these Polish 
theories of suffering and of sacrifice ! " 

"Oh, dear and charming Paris ! " cried the 
baroness. 

" One vegetates elsewhere, one lives only in Paris," 
added her husband, "and perhaps a little in Lon- 
don." 

" Do not compare London with its fogs to my dear 
Paris," replied his wife. 

In the midst of this desultory chatting Henri re- 
mained obstinately near, until the veturino which he 
had ordered was announced. He could not deny 
himself the bitter pleasure of seeing side by side her 
who had been his wife, and her who was to have been. 
He seemed unable to leave the place. 

Meanwhile the dinner drew to a close. The dessert 
was brought in, consisting of figs, spoiled pears, green 
grapes, and musty peaches. 

"No comparison is possible," said the baron^ 
"between these wretched fruits and the delicious 
fruits we get at Paris." 

"These are horrible !" added his wife, biting into 
the bad part of a peach/ Then she turned to Mathilde 
and asked her if she should return to Genoa. 

"Yes ; but not until evening," she repUed. 



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EPtLOGUE, 467 

" Well, we must make haste, for we are going to the 
theatre," said Muse. 

They all arose from the table. The baron offered 
cigars to Jacob and Henri Segel, but he hastened to 
quit their society. One appeared to be compromising, 
the other altogether odious. t 

Gromof and the Tsigane chatted together. Muse 
drew Mathilde into an obscure comer of the grotto to 
ask her this question : — 

"Are you happy?" 

" Above all expression," replied she. " I have only 
one sorrow, — to see our native land in such an un- 
happy condition." 

"And Jacob?" 

" He is the best of men ; he is my ideal." 

" What do you think of that horrid Henri? " 

" I had to summon all my courage when he looked 
at me so fixedly, a cold sweat came on my forehead. 
He is capable of killing both of us." 

" No ! He is not susceptible of so violent an 
emotion. We ought to pardon him, for he suffers 
keenly." 

" Oh, no I I know better than that. He will easily 
console himself." 

The baron was impatient to depart, and coughed to 
bring back his wife from the grotto. At last the two 
friends separated, sa)dng farewell, and Muse bowed to 
Henri from the distance, with a grave dignity. The 
brilliant star entered her carriage and disappeared in 
a cloud of dust on the highway. Jacob conducted 



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468 THE JEW, 

his wife to her room in the inn and descended to 
the grotto. 

Gromof and the Tsigane came to talk with him. 
The Russian saw the future outlook dark and gloomy. 
Jacob was rather optimistic. 

" Man/' said he, " ought never to abandon himself 
to despair. If he object to his own individual lot, it 
is narrow-minded and weak. If he complain of the 
lot of humanity, it is blindness or error. In the an- 
nals of the world human events are submitted to a 
normal development, an intelligent fatality which is 
not arrested by the stupidity and malevolence of men. 
The law of destiny, whatever we may do, will prevail. 
Patience, and the storm will disappear." 

" And we, — we cannot expect to live to see the 
sun appear ! " 

" Our children will see it, perhaps. In the collective 
existence of humanity there is a cohesion of facts 
which do not exist in the same individual existences. 
Individuals are only the stones of a vast edifice." 

"You are a happy man from all points of view," de- 
clared Henri. " You have faith in the aim of life, 
you possess serenity of soul ; nothing is lacking." 

" And you ? Can you not acquire the same happi- 
ness ? " 

" No. I have squeezed life like a lemon. There 
remains to me only the bitter peel. I exist aimlessly ; 
I believe in riothing ; everything seems to me sense- 
less or ridiculous. It is the malady of the age. Your 
dreams are worth more than the reality." 



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EPILOGUE, 469 

" They are not dreams. For me it is the living 
reality. Your materialism is what is false. You will 
soon return to Poland ; there is much to do there^ 
Do your duty there, and life will have a new meaning 
for you." 

Henri laughed ironically and said : — 

" In the meanwhile I have another work on hand. 
I am going to attach myself to Muse. I shall follow 
her everywhere. She will see continuously my mock- 
ing face. I will be the skeleton at the feast, and I 
will enjoy this revenge to satiety. Every one to his 
taste I I really believe that Satan cradled me, and 
that this nurse has injected into my blood some of his 
own character." 

He gave an infernal laugh, took his hat, and left 
them, saying : — 

" I will join Muse at the theatre." 



THE END. 



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Digitized by VjOOQIC 



Digitized by VjOOQIC 



Digitized by VjOOQiC 



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Digitized by VjOOQIC 




Digitized by VjOOQIC